Markus Hicks, the former teacher and volleyball coach charged with more than 200 acts of sexual violence, plans to plead guilty at his next court appearance.
It was one year ago that Hicks, now 34, denied all wrongdoing by entering not guilty pleas to charges that run the gamut from sexual assault, to child luring, breach of trust and disguised with intent.
That last charge goes to the crux of this case — alleging Hicks used many aliases across social media to arrange sex at his Paradise home, concealing his true identity when someone showed up.
His arrest in September of 2023 shocked the community and prompted other potential victims to come forward, with more than two dozen people telling similar stories of degradation and deceit perpetrated by Hicks.
Markus Hicks via Zoom from the correctional facility in Bishop’s Falls. (VOCM News/file)
His not guilty pleas forced the court to set dates for a 37-day trial.
But in recent weeks there have been signs that won’t happen, and today, for the first time, it was confirmed guilty pleas are coming instead.
Hicks has remained in custody at the jail in Bishop’s Falls, with his lawyers spending much of last weekend going over what amounts to a plea deal in the case — meaning some charges could be withdrawn in exchange for guilty pleas to others.
That’ll be accompanied by a reading of the agreed statement of facts — or the specifics of what Hicks did — when the case returns to court on June 30th.
