LOS ANGELES: Danny Harris who won Olympic 400m hurdles silver in 1984, was charged Tuesday with allegedly sending inappropriate sexual messages to an underaged girl.
Harris, 51, pleaded not guilty to contact with a minor for a sexual offense, child abuse and to two misdemeanor counts of child annoyance.
The messages were sent to a student at Gabrielino High School in the Los Angeles suburb of San Gabriel, where Harris had been an assistant athletics coach. He was relieved of his coaching duties in May.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office said the alleged messages were sent between April and May, and were discovered by a relative of the girl.
Harris, who was arrested on Friday, is due back in court on June 16 for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to require him to stand trial.
Harris finished second in the 400m hurdles at the 1984 Olympics behind hurdling great Edwin Moses.
In June of 1987, he ended Moses' 122-race winning streak in the event, but again finished runner-up to Moses at the World Championships later that year.