A former Malad High School girls’ basketball coach was arrested last week and charged with sexual abuse of a minor child. It’s the second time in the past three months that a local female coach has been accused of sexually abusing one of their players.

Amanda Jo Ward, 35, of Malad, was arrested on Sept. 14 and charged with sexual battery of a minor child 16-17 years old.

Magistrate Eric Hunn set bond in the case at $25,000 and Ward remains incarcerated at the Bannock County Jail.

Capt. Karen Hatch with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office said Ward was dismissed as a coach at the high school in May and an investigation was launched at that time.

The case was turned over to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office due to a conflict of interest — Ward’s mother works for the Oneida County Probation Department, Hatch said.

Hatch declined to say how the case came to the attention of law enforcement, but said the female victim was one of Ward’s players.

The investigation against Ward is ongoing. Hatch said it’s possible that other victims could come forth, but none have at this point.

Ward also worked as an elementary school aide for Oneida School District 351.

District Spokeswoman Johanna Green said that Ward coached at the high school for at least one year.

Green said the district passed the case onto law enforcement and is not involved in the ongoing investigation. But she said policies are in place in the district to deal with other potential victims who could come forward.

She said the safety of students in the district was a priority both on and off campus.

Green declined to say if Ward’s employment in the district has been terminated calling it a personnel issue.

Meanwhile, in July, a former Blackfoot High School girls’ soccer coach was charged with multiple counts of lewd conduct in Bannock and Bingham counties.

Alisha Yeates, 27, is facing five felony counts of lewd conduct with a minor in Bingham County and two counts of the same charge in Bannock County.

That case came to light when the now 16-year-old victim disclosed the abuse to a school counselor.

A preliminary hearing in Bingham County in that case is set for Nov. 5, and Yeates will be back in court in Bannock County on Nov. 16.