Baseball Trainer Accused Of Sending Girl Explicit Messages

ODENTON-SEVERN, MD — A 55-year-old Severn man who works as a local baseball trainer is facing several charges in a case that police say he solicited a girl for sexually explicit material.

The Anne Arundel County Police Department said in a Monday release that Juan Francisco Palacios-Velazquez was facing several charges, including the sexual solicitation of a minor and soliciting child sexual abuse materials.

The charges came through an investigation by the department's Internet Crimes Against Children Unit that first started in August 2025.

Officials began digging into Palacios-Velazquez after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The tip, according to police, detailed claims of a man who was engaging with a teen girl through social media. Police said images were exchanged.

Court records reviewed by The Capital Gazette detailed that the girl was 15 years old, and that Palacios-Velazquez had messaged her via Instagram to inform her of sexual acts he would like her to perform once she is "legal."

Anne Arundel Co. Police said investigators recovered "numerous items of evidence related to the ongoing investigation" after executing a search warrant at the baseball trainer's home.

The training facility used by Palacios-Velazquez was informed that he was under investigation for a matter concerning child safety.

Palacios-Velazquez was initially held without bond on Friday but was released on his own recognizance on Monday.

The Anne Arundel County Police Department encourages anyone with additional information about the investigation or Palacios-Velazquez to contact their tip line at (410) 222-4700.