Roslindale Youth Baseball Coach Charged With Child Enticement
BOSTON (CBS) - A Boston baseball coach is behind bars, charged with asking one of his 12-year-old players to have sex with him. 41-year-old Jose Ortega is being held on $50,000 cash bail. The Roslindale man is the owner of the Boston Broncos youth baseball team.
In court today, the judge allowed Ortega to stay out of view.
Prosecutors say Ortega never touched the children, but for several months had graphic and sexually explicit conversations with at least two of his 12-year-old players. He allegedly asked them to send him nude pictures of themselves.
Prosecutor Laura Montgomery, with the Suffolk County District Attorney's Child Protection Unit, handled the arraignment at West Roxbury District Court.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Kim Tunnicliffe reports
Podcast
Montgomery says, "Mr. Ortega also invited the victim to take showers at his home and this happened on two occasions."
Ortega was arrested at his Roslindale home on Sunday night by the Boston Police Crimes Against Children Unit.
In court, his defense attorney implied while Ortega may have made some inappropriate comments to the kids, they were not sexual in nature.
Defense attorney William Lane told the judge, "My client vehemently denies all the charges against him."
The Boston Broncos Little League Team plays many of their games at English High School. They also play at Healy Field in Roslindale. WBZ talked to one 16-year-old who says he played on the team and that he is not surprised by the charges against Ortega.
"I am glad someone finally said something," he says.
If he is able to pay the $50,000 cash bail, the judge ordered Ortega to wear a GPS monitoring ankle bracelet and to stay away from anyone under the age of 18.
Ortega promised the boys he recruited for his team that they would someday be playing in the major leagues. Prosecutors say there could other victims.
