Former Miles City athletic trainer admits coercion, enticement charges

MISSOULA – Former high school athletic trainer James E. “Doc” Jensen, Jr., of Miles City, today admitted charges that he coerced or enticed multiple minors into sexual activity, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme announced.

Jensen, 79, pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement. There was no plea agreement.

Chief U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. Sentencing is set for July 30 in Billings. Jensen is detained.

Jensen faces a maximum 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

Prosecutors said evidence would show Jensen obtained information from the Internet to develop a so-called “Program” that he used to coerce minor male student-athletes into sexual activity saying it would increase their physical performance. Jensen also used the telephone to contact victims about “The Program.”

Jensen, who was an athletic trainer at the Custer County District High School in Miles City from the 1970s to about 1998, knew that the student athletes were minors. Victim interviews would confirm that Jensen engaged in this conduct until at least 1999 and after his association with Custer County District High School.

Jensen admitted in a September 2018 interview the basic tenants of “The Program,” saying he got information for its administration from the Internet and had applied it to hundreds of minor children.

A relative of Jensen also told law enforcement about seeing apparent computer print-outs of “The Program” among Jensen’s possessions. Another witness told law enforcement about seeing Jensen online and deceptively attempting to contact minor children, particularly boys, by creating a false identity. Internet searches on Jensen’s computer were consistent with sexual interest in children.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zeno Baucus and Bryan Dake prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Montana Division of Criminal Investigation.