James Grubbs, 48, a former Valley View softball coach, is in the Montgomery County Jail on a $1.5 million bond. He was indicted Monday on 30 counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material and 14 counts of voyeurism, according to the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office.

In announcing the charges, Prosecuting Attorney Mat Heck, Jr. said Grubbs was a “danger to the community.”

In a statement, Valley View said, “We can confirm that James Ryan Grubbs was hired in Fall 2023 as a JV Softball coach. Mr. Grubbs was a Varsity Assistant coach from Fall 2024 until he was placed on leave on April 28, 2026, pending an investigation. He then resigned that same day. We value the safety and privacy of our students; we are not able to comment further.”

German Township Police Investigation

In a press release issued Monday, the Prosecutor’s Office said that on April 28, 2026, the German Township Police were contacted by Valley View Schools after learning that the defendant, the assistant softball coach, had inappropriate electronic communications with a player on the girl’s softball team. The investigation determined that the defendant had numerous communications that were disturbing and inappropriate.

German Township Police Chief Shane Birch made a statement on the German Township Police Facebook page that said, “While I prefer not to discuss the details of this case out of respect for the minors involved, I do want to recognize the outstanding work of the officers who made this investigation a success.”

“Officer Bateman led this investigation with exceptional professionalism, dedication, and attention to detail,” the Chief stated. “This was truly a team effort, with multiple members of the German Township Police Department working tirelessly in pursuit of justice and in service to our community.”

Hidden Cameras

The Prosecutor’s Office said that as part of the investigation, the defendant’s cellphone was forensically analyzed. Numerous images depicting minors in various states of nudity were discovered. The Images appeared to have been taken with a hidden camera. The investigators were able to identify the minors in the images.

Prosecuting Attorney Mat Heck, Jr. said in a Monday announcement, “This defendant was hired by Valley View Schools to coach female softball players. Instead, he sent inappropriate text messages to at least one underage player. Additionally, and unrelated to Valley View Schools, he installed hidden cameras and took images of other minors when they were in various states of nudity. Clearly this defendant is attracted to underage girls. He was grooming one girl and violated the privacy of all the victims.”

Indictment and Arraignment

Grubbs, who was arrested on June 30 was indicted Monday, July 13 by the Montgomery County Grand Jury.

The full list of charges includes:

James’ wife Ashlee Peace Grubbs filed for divorce June 15. According to public records, they were married in May 2023. While the filing was for “divorce without children.” There were minor children living in their Butter Street home.

Grubbs will have the opportunity to speak to the charges and enter a plea during his arraignment Thursday, July 16 in downtown Dayton.

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