Whittier Daily News reports that a Pop Warner football coach from Whittier has been charged with one felony count of oral copulation of a child under 10 and eight felony counts of sexual molestation of a child under 14. The suspect, Paul Ayala, pleaded not guilty to the charges on Tuesday.
All the charges are in connection with two alleged victims, both 10 years-old, who played on a youth football team that Mr. Ayala had coached in 2008 and 2009. Police were informed of Mr. Ayala's alleged behavior after one of the kids told family members about what had happened. The Whittier Police deferred the case the case to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department because of its sensitive nature.
"He befriended (the boys) as the coach," the sheriff's Sgt. Dan Scott told Whittier Daily News. "He would take them over to his house before and after games and that's where the molestation occurred."
Mr. Ayala is due back in Whittier Superior Court on March 24. His Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer, Sean McDonald, might argue that the defendants charges are just based on law enforcement's interviews with the alleged victims and that no physical evidence has been found. However, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is still continuing the investigation. Anybody with information about this case is asked to call the Sheriff's Special Victims Bureau at 866-247-5887.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ayala is currently being held at Men's Central Jail in Los Angeles on $8.2 million bail. KTLA reports that Mr. Ayala could face multiple life terms in prison, if convicted of the charges.
Related Resources:
- Child Molestation (LawBrain)
- Sex Offenders and Sex Offenses: Overview (FindLaw)
- Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyer Directory (FindLaw)
