Boulder – A former University of Colorado recruiting aide who was the only person charged in the school’s football scandal pleaded guilty today to charges of soliciting a prostitute and official misconduct.
Nathan Maxcey was sentenced to a year of probation and 40 hours of community service. He was ordered to pay about $1,000 in restitution, fines and court costs.
Maxcey, of Houston, was accused of paying a woman $250 for sex and using his university-issued cell phone to make 90 calls to a dating chat line.
He was the only person indicted by a grand jury that investigated allegations that Colorado’s football program used sex and alcohol to lure top recruits.
He read a brief statement today, apologizing and accepting responsibility for what happened.
“I never intended to harm anyone or the university,” he said.
District Judge Daniel Hale told Maxcey he was “only a sideshow in this circus” surrounding the CU scandal.
“I can’t even imagine what the public humiliation has been for you and your family,” Hale said.
Prosecutors expressed satisfaction with the sentence, saying Maxcey had suffered enough punishment from the media attention surrounding the case.
The recruiting scandal erupted after three women filed federal lawsuits against the university alleging they were raped by football recruits or players. The lawsuits were later dismissed, and no players or recruits were ever charged with sex crimes.
An independent panel appointed by the university concluded that some players had offered to arrange sex, alcohol and drugs for recruits. The panel’s report faulted university officials for lax oversight.
The school responded by overhauling control of the athletics department and putting some of the most stringent policies in place for any football recruiting program.
Athletics Director Richard Tharp resigned, but head football coach Gary Barnett stayed on.
University President Elizabeth Hoffman, who was also caught up in another controversy over a professor who likened some Sept. 11 victims to Nazis, stepped down in June.
