Martinez Soccer Coach Charged With Meeting Minor For Sex: DA

MARTINEZ, CA — A 28-year-old Martinez man was charged Thursday on suspicion of attempting to meet who he thought was an underage girl for sex, the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office announced in a news release.

In early January, Alejandro Sanchez, while employed as a soccer coach in the Central Contra Costa County area, is accused of communicating via an online chatroom with an undercover law enforcement officer who was posing as a 14-year-old girl, according to the DA's Office.

After chatting for a day, Sanchez is accused of agreeing to meet the "girl" in-person at a park in Martinez.

That was Jan. 4, and senior inspectors with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office went to the agreed-upon location and arrested Sanchez.

The DA's Office formally charged Sanchez Thursday with three felonies: contact with minor for sexual offense, arranging meeting with a minor for lewd purposes and felony attempted lewd act upon a child.

County prosecutors allege that during the undercover operation, Sanchez complimented the "minor" and told her, "we need to cuddle then" and "you have a nice body."

Sanchez is accused of making repeated remarks about her physical appearance and expressing a desire to engage in sexual acts with her.

The DA's Office alleges that "during the undercover operation, the officer posing as the young girl made it clear to Sanchez that she was a high school student in the ninth grade," and that "even after that disclosure, Sanchez still expressed a desire to meet in-person."

"The investigation up to this point has revealed that no actual children were victimized," said Scott Alonso, spokesman for the DA's Office.

The investigation was conducted by the multi-agency Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which is managed by the San Jose Police Department. In Contra Costa County, detectives and investigators from the Walnut Creek, Martinez, San Ramon, Concord and Moraga Police Departments, the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, United States Secret Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Contra Costa County Probation Department, and Inspectors from the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office participate in the task force.

Authorities encourage parents to discuss online safety with their children, information about which is posted at Kidsmartz.org and on the DA's website.