Former Salinas soccer coach to be sentenced for felony charges against eight teens
SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV) -- The Monterey County DA's Office announced Wednesday that 38-year-old Julio Cesar Gonzalez Garcia of Salinas pled no contest to 12 felony charges for crimes against eight children ages 13 through 15 years old.
Gonzalez Garcia is a former local soccer coach, where, police say, he would groom his victims and plan the sexual acts.
They said that Gonzalez Garcia would forcibly touch the victims inappropriately, some stating that they were made to engage in sexual intercourse with him. The DA's office says that many of the victims reported that Gonzalez Garcia would offer rides home after practice or games and then take the victims to a secluded area of a local park to engage in the sexual acts.
Police say that they were initially tipped off of Gonzalez Garcia's actions fall 2022 when a student from North Salinas High School reported that her soccer coach, known by many of the students as "Chicles," had messaged her and sent her inappropriate photographs.
Then, they say that another student came forward with similar accusations.
"The subsequent investigation discovered six additional victims, to include three 13-year-olds, and three
14-year-olds," wrote the DA's office in a press release Wednesday. "Gonzalez Garcia knew all of his victims from local soccer programs as he coached most of them personally."
Gonzalez Garcia is being charged with contacting children online for the purpose of distributing obscene material, providing children over the age of 14 with marijuana, as well as eight charges for unlawful sexual touching, to include forcible lewd acts upon children under the age of 14, according to the DA's Office.
In addition to this, police say that four of the charges are "strikes" within the state's Three Strikes Law.
Gonzalez Garcia is scheduled to be sentenced on April 2 at 1:30 pm with the potential of imprisonment in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation at least 30 years with a maximum of 41 years.
Additionally, Gonzalez Garcia will be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.
