Distinguished School Coach Charged With Sexually Assaulting Minors
Prominent youth sports coach Chris Flores was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting minor athletes.
Chris Flores was arrested in Bakersfield, California last Thursday for sexually assaulting two minors under his care. The Orange County sports coach and trainer worked for the prestigious STARS Preparatory Academy and STARS SOCAL. The allegations states that Flores sexually assaulted both a 14 and 15 years old girl throughout the course of last year.
The 14-year-old victim had been enrolled at the STARS Prep Academy where Chris Flores coached her. Multiple incidents are being investigated which have led police to believe that some of the sexual assault attacks may have taken place at multiple locations in Anaheim and Santa Ana, including the Calvary Chapel High School. This school hosted a STARS Prep sporting event which may be connected to the case.
In order to prove that her coach was sexually assaulting her, the 14-year-old girl recorded a conversation she had with Chris Flores. During the recording he asks if she “deleted everything” then invites her on a date. The police believe that the deleted materials were text messages between the girl and her alleged attacker.
The 15-year-old who came forward has also made similar allegations. Although Chris Flores has been a youth coach for years, and denies the charges, he was accused of raping and sodomizing a 21 year-old Pasadena woman in 2009. He was found not guilty and the case did not hinder his ability to work with minors.
These new allegations are bringing up many questions and concerns. The STARS sports programs are highly well-known. They have helped some high-profiled athletes begin their sports careers, some who have even played in the NFL. Chris Flores has worked with their programs for so long that it is suspected that other teen girls may have been sexually assaulted by him.
His enthusiasm for working with minors was reported when he spoke about his experiences on a recruiting site. During an interview Chris Flores noted that they encourage middle school students to work with college athletes and that he enjoys watching children go through the program. Based on the recent allegations, STARS has cut ties with the coach and is cooperating with the investigation.
Despite last week’s arrest, no charges have been filed in the case involving the 15 year-old-girl. Chris Flores is currently booked at the Orange County jail. His bail has been set at $500,000. This is just one fo many cases in which adults who work closely with children have been arrested for sexually abusing them.
A San Diego teacher and youth coach was recently arrested for distributing child pornography, as was a teaching duo who groomed teenagers with inappropriate texts. Various sexual abuse cases involving adults who work with minors have been gaining national attention. Whether Chris Flores is convicted or not, more cases like this will continue to be discovered.
Parents who wish to protect their children need to be aware of the increase in phone-related incidents and the added threat that online interactions pose. Educating children and teens about grooming and inappropriate content will help them to seek help if they become victims of online predators. However, many children are pressured by adults they know in real life and so they must know when and how to seek help if they are preyed upon by an adult they know and trust.
