Canadian County Sheriff Chris West said he was advised not to comment on the recent hiring of an investigator named in a federal lawsuit concerning the alleged sexual abuse of young girls by a former coach.

West said the district attorney's office advised him not to comment on the matter that involves newly hired investigator Phil Blevins.

The hiring of Blevins was part of a recent story in The Oklahoman that detailed how 12 women have filed a federal lawsuit accusing former Ninnekah High School coach Ronald Gene Akins, 54, of abusing them while they were teens at the school.

Akins was recently arrested by the Grady County Sheriff's Office after one of the women came forward in June with the story of the alleged abuse. Akins was charged with two counts of felony sexual battery and two counts of rape by instrumentation in Grady County District Court.

Blevins, as well as the Ninnekah school district and the Friends school district, where Akins also was employed, as well as school staff were named in the lawsuit. The lawsuit was filed under the pseudonyms Jane Does 1-12.

Blevins, according to The Oklahoman, was hired by Canadian County on July 12, three weeks after Akins was arrested. His position here is reported to be commander of the investigations division.

The lawsuit, the newspaper says, shows Jane Doe No. 1 reported the alleged abuse in 2015 to the Grady County Sheriff's Office. Blevins, according to current investigation records, interviewed her at the time. 

The Oklahoman reported the lawsuit contends Blevins told Jane Doe No. 1 the district attorney would never prosecute Akins without a corroborating witness.

The lawsuit says the woman in 2018 told Blevins of another alleged victim but he took no action, only saying the investigation was still pending and open.

The newspaper reported a current Grady County deputy found case files from the 2015 investigation are missing.

Word of Akins' relationship with Jane Doe No. 2 began to spread in the school district, the newspaper reported. Multiple adults and former students interviewed by deputies said district staff were aware of the rumors but brushed it off, according to law enforcement reports.

Oklahoma law requires every school employee who has reason to believe a student under the age of 18 is a victim of abuse or neglect shall report the matter immediately to the Department of Human Services and local law enforcement, the story says.