Ex-coach used his position and parents’ trust to sexuaIIy assault the minor players during out-of-town games where he slept in their beds and “touched their private parts and chests” while massaging them; sentenced

Court records show that the 59-year-old man, who was charged after the victims of the abuse spent years gathering the courage to speak about the horrific experience they endured, was found guilty on the sexuaIIy related charges and sentenced to prison last week.

The former coach won the trust of both the players and their parents, as he often presented himself as a caring person who bought gifts and organized trips for his players, but it was all just a mask to hide his true intentions. Testimony from five of his former players, now in their early 20s, revealed details about the coach’s actions, painting a disturbing picture of the abuse they endured between 2013 and 2017. These young athletes, children at the time, described how the coach, Anthony, groomed and then sexuaIIy abused them. The victims who spoke in court said the former coach was abusing them for an extended period of time while they were minors and playing games at out-of-town tournaments where their parents couldn’t make it, and he required the team to stay in a hotel during these trips.

According to the victims, Anthony would share a bed with them at the hotels and initiate massages that became increasingly inappropriate. One victim said he started massaging her elbow and shoulder and then lowered his hands to her chest and private parts. Another victim recalled waking up in the middle of the night, at 3 a.m., only to find Tristan groping her privates, but didn’t do anything about the attack at the time because she was too afraid and embarrassed. A third victim said the sexuaI abuse was not a one-time event but a series of assaults that continued for several years, leading her to stop playing softball for good because of these traumatic experiences.

Prosecutors said that hearing testimonies from the victims was crucial in this case and reaching the sentence. Anthony was sentenced last week to 75 years for each of the charges that need to be served consecutively. In addition to the prison sentence, he must pay $20,000 in fines. Anthony is required to complete a minimum of 60 years of his prison term, which means he would be 119 years old before he could be considered for parole.