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Matthew Duran, an 18-year-old volunteer youth football coach in Avon, Indiana, is under arrest after being accused of molesting a preteen boy and taking nude photographs of the minor, according to Fox 59.
Duran was arrested Thursday, March 16, 2023, on charges of child seduction, a Level 3 felony; child molesting, a Level 4 felony; and child exploitation, a Level 4 felony. According to court documents, police began investigating Duran after an Avon Schools officer was notified of inappropriate messages Duran had reportedly sent to an 11-year-old boy. The victim was reportedly a player on the team Duran coached.
Avon Schools confirmed that Duran had briefly served as a substitute teacher but was terminated after “just two substitute shifts due to concerns brought to our attention.” Court documents revealed that Duran had communicated with the child via various online applications and frequently visited the preteen's home. The child's parents told police that, at first, they had thought Duran was “a good kid” who had only been trying to mentor their son.
Police discovered that Duran had sent the minor several unnerving messages, including telling him he loved him and that he had a photo of the victim as his background. Duran also allegedly told the child to delete messages and videos “so your mom doesn’t see.” Additionally, investigators uncovered nude photographs of the victim Duran had sent to the victim. Duran was also accused of fondling the child over his clothing at the boy’s home in 2022.
Our attorney contributor Jeff Gibson is an experienced sexual assault attorney who represents victims of sexual assault in civil litigation in Indiana. Recently Jeff sought to answer "Can I sue if I was sexually assaulted by a substitute teacher or volunteer coach?"
"Schools have a legal responsibility to make sure their students are in a safe learning environment. To do this, they should have the right level of security in place, such as security cameras, employee background checks and a system for reporting any misconduct. Sadly, there have been numerous cases of teachers abusing children across the country. Schools must do all they can to prevent predators from entering their organization and stop sexual abuse, as they could be held responsible for any negligence."
"If a child has been sexually assaulted by a substitute teacher or volunteer coach, they should get the advice of an experienced sexual assault lawyer to find out their legal rights. Sometimes, sexual assault occurs due to the negligence of a third party, such as school personnel or the school district. If misconduct was reported to school administrators but was not dealt with, this would be an example of neglect. In these cases, victims may have the right to file a civil claim against the school for not providing adequate security."
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