“BRING IT” Dance Coach pleads guilty to exposing teen student to HIV

MEMPHIS, TN – (WIAT & CNN) A Dance Teacher featured on a TV reality show has pleaded guilty to multiple felonies. The charges include the statutory rape of one of the members of his dance team.

30-year-old John Conner III, also known as Coach John on the Lifetime TV Series “BRING IT” is also charged with criminal exposure to HIV.

Conner is known as the coach of the Memphis Team, ‘THE INFAMOUS DANCERETTES.’

Authorities say he is charged with statutory tape by an authority figure. criminal exposure to HIV and soliciting sexual exploitation of a minor.

According to court documents, the dance instructor met a teenage boy on a social media website in 2015. After meeting the defendant, the teen then joined his dance team, the Infamous Dancerettes. Conner and the dance team appeared on “Bring It”, a Lifetime reality television show that focused on competitive dance in Memphis.

After a few months of working together, Conner, 26 at the time, the then 16-year-old victim met on many occasions outside of the dance studio. The two had unprotected sex several times in Conner’s car.

Authorities say Conner had tested positive for HIV in 2012 and knew he was infected before having unprotected sex with the teen. Officers say when the victim found out about conner’s positive HIV status, he went to the police.

John Conner III, 30, waived his right to trial this week and pleaded guilty to felony charges of criminal exposure to HIV, statutory rape by an authority figure, and solicitation of a minor.

Since Conner’s arrest, he has made several posts on facebook and Instagram defending himself.

Conner is scheduled to be sentenced on December 20th for Criminal exposure to HIV, statutory rape and solicitation of a minor.
He faces charges in two similar cases with one of them involving another minor.