An assistant track coach at University High School has been accused of molesting two girls since last September.

Yuri Ermakov, 23, who has an address on the 1000 block of East Colorado Avenue in Urbana, was apprehended and taken to the Champaign County jail last Saturday. He has been charged with criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according to Julia Reitz, Champaign County’s state’s attorney.

Ermakov’s bail was set at $150,000 dollars and he has already posted bond.

“We learned of the allegations on Friday,” said Robin Kaler, associate chancellor for public affairs at the University. “Within a few hours, we had worked with police to talk with everyone we knew to be a victim or witness, executed a search warrant on his home and had made an arrest.”

University police apprehended Ermakov early Saturday morning and, despite the fact that nothing is alleged to have happened on school grounds, the University police are conducting the investigation.

Both the charges of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a minor are class two felonies, and neither necessitates prison time. However, if convicted of criminal sexual assault, Ermakov faces a set 15-year prison sentence.

Ermakov allegedly committed the crimes between September 2005 and March 2006, Kaler said.

At his arraignment Monday, Ermakov was informed by Judge John Kennedy of the charges against him. His attorney requested and received a preliminary hearing on March 28. A grand jury will review his case and decide whether or not to indict him.

It is not uncommon for sex offenders like Ermakov to be indicted by a grand jury, Reitz said.

“These charges are based on his authority over the minors in question,” Reitz said. “Not on threats or use of force.”

Lt. Jeff Christensen of the University police refused to release any other information about Ermakov.

“We want to make sure we finish the investigation,” Christensen said.

In the mean time, the high school has been dealing with the inevitable problems associated with this event.

“On Monday, we had additional counselors at our high school to talk to any students who felt any kind of concern or fear,” Kaler said. “We still have additional counselors on call and teachers and administrators have all been trained on how to help students feel safe.”