PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (WFLA) — A former trainer and coach at Charlotte Excessive Faculty was federally indicted on 4 fees associated to baby pornography, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Workplace introduced.
An investigation started in April into the allegations towards Dagoberto Pena, 37, after a mother or father found disturbing conversations between him and her baby on the kid’s cellphone.
Detective Don Woelke, who’s assigned to the FBI Baby Exploitation and Human Trafficking Job Drive, has federally indicted Pena on 4 fees associated to baby pornography.
Based on the CCSO, the Punta Gorda Police Division obtained a search warrant for each Pena’s cellphone and work cellphone uncovered graphic pictures, textual content messages, and movies between Pena and three juvenile victims.
Pena was a basketball coach at Charlotte Excessive Faculty.
Utilizing his place, Pena would lure victims into susceptible conditions, deputies stated.
Pena would provide issues like free non-public coaching periods and items of pricey attire and footwear to realize the victims’ belief.
After gaining their belief with items and free periods, it escalated into inappropriate sexual relationships between Pena and the victims, CCSO stated.
“It’s our job as adults, particularly adults in trusted positions, to guard our youngsters in any respect prices. To see that belief betrayed in such a disgusting method is nothing in need of evil. There isn’t a excuse on the planet that may justify the actions of this grasp manipulator, and I’m grateful to Detective Don Woelke for working to cost this predator accordingly. Sadly, these sickening people exist, however I take consolation figuring out one much less is strolling freely in Charlotte County. My honest hope is that the victims and their households can start the therapeutic course of figuring out he’s being held accountable for his actions,” Sheriff Invoice Prummell stated.
Based on CCSO, Pena would journey to a sufferer’s residence to have interaction in sexual actions and document their encounters regardless of the sufferer verbalizing that they had been uncomfortable with it.
Pena would then remind them to erase the specific movies and pictures after he despatched them and warned that in the event that they instructed anybody about their relationship, he would go to jail.
On April twenty ninth, Pena was arrested and charged with:
- Illegal sexual exercise with sure minors
- Lewd lascivious battery encourages intercourse sufferer much less 16 years of age
- Lewd lascivious sufferer 12 to 16 years of age x2
- Touring to fulfill a minor after utilizing pc to lure baby x2
- Authority determine solicit have interaction intercourse conduct with scholar x2
The Punta Gorda Police Division dealt with the state-level fees towards Pena.
On July 9, Pena was federally indicted on the next fees:
- Two counts of manufacturing of kid pornography
- One depend of receipt of kid pornography
- One depend of possession of kid pornography.
“There isn’t a place in our faculties, or our society, for people who prey on kids. The arrest of Dagoberto Pena is a vile and unforgivable betrayal of the belief households place in us. Our primary precedence is defending college students, and we are going to at all times help legislation enforcement in making certain that people like this are behind bars, precisely the place they belong,” Mark Vianello, Superintendent of Colleges stated.
CCSO, anybody with data or anybody who feels their baby might also be a sufferer, to contact the sheriff’s workplace at 941-639-2101.
