Former Wilmington coach pleads guilty to filming minors

Cordell III admitted to voyeurism, illegal recordings, and using minors in nudity-oriented material

Published on Mar. 6, 2026

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Gordon B. Cordell III, a 48-year-old former assistant coach for the Wilmington High School junior varsity softball team and the district's sports photographer, pleaded guilty to 13 felony charges, including voyeurism of minors, illegal recordings, and using minors in nudity-oriented material. Cordell was first indicted in August 2025 on charges related to incidents between January 2023 and April 2023, and a second indictment in August 2025 added more charges tied to alleged incidents in 2018 and material possessed between 2012 and 2023.

Why it matters

This case highlights the serious issue of coaches and other authority figures exploiting their positions to illegally record and abuse minors. It raises concerns about the need for stronger safeguards and oversight to protect student-athletes, as well as the challenges of prosecuting such crimes when they occur.

The details

Cordell pleaded guilty to five counts of voyeurism of a minor, six counts of interception of an oral communication, and two counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance. The indictments alleged that Cordell used a Bluetooth speaker camera and a 'charger block' camera to secretly record minors.

  • Cordell was first indicted on August 14, 2025 on charges related to incidents between January 1, 2023 and April 23, 2023.
  • A second 22-count indictment was filed on August 28, 2025, adding more charges tied to alleged incidents in February, March and August 2018 and material possessed between June 12, 2012 and April 23, 2023.

The players

Gordon B. Cordell III

A 48-year-old former assistant coach for the Wilmington High School junior varsity softball team and the district's sports photographer who pleaded guilty to 13 felony charges related to voyeurism of minors, illegal recordings, and using minors in nudity-oriented material.

Judge Andrew McCoy

The judge who scheduled Cordell's sentencing for May 8 at 2 p.m.

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What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Cordell's sentencing on May 8.

The takeaway

This case underscores the need for stronger safeguards and oversight to protect student-athletes from exploitation by coaches and other authority figures in positions of trust. It also raises concerns about the challenges of prosecuting such crimes and the long-term impacts on victims.