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A former Saugerties High School wrestling coach, Reid Kappler, has been sentenced to six and a half years in state prison after pleading guilty to repeatedly sexually assaulting two teenagers while working at the school between 2023 and 2024. The sentencing was handed down Tuesday (March 25) in Ulster County Court, following a plea deal with the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office, as reported by the Daily Freeman.
Kappler, now 33 and a former custodian and wrestling coach at Saugerties Central School District, admitted to three counts of third-degree rape involving girls who were 15 and 16 years old at the time. According to Spectrum News, his crimes came to light during an investigation into similar allegations against former part-time Saugerties police officer Sydney Mills.
Authorities said Kappler used his role at the school to manipulate and prey on the victims. At the sentencing, one victim told the court, "I didn’t deserve the things you did to me...I was only 15. I was lost and alone and you made me feel like I had someone who would love me and protect me." She also expressed how Kappler’s actions deeply hurt her sense of self-worth. In contrast, the other victim criticized law enforcement and prosecutors for their handling of the investigation, saying she "did not want any charges pressed" on her behalf, according to the Daily Freeman.
Ulster County District Attorney Emmanuel Nneji stated, "These crimes against children don’t happen without people seeing the signs," and highlighted what he described as a long-standing "cover-up" culture at the school district regarding abuse allegations.
Kappler was arrested in Connecticut in July 2025 by the U.S. Marshals Task Force and the Ulster County Sheriff's Office. Under the plea agreement, his sentences will run consecutively, totaling six and a half years, as outlined by Hudson Valley One.
The investigation that led to Kappler’s arrest also resulted in multiple felony charges against Mills, who is awaiting trial scheduled for June. Community members and authorities urge anyone with information about Kappler or related cases to contact the Ulster County Family and Child Center.