According to KENS5, a San Antonio area softball coach associated with a local Texas Bombers team was arrested in Converse, Texas.
Police say they met with the parents of a female juvenile on Monday, December 12, 2022. They learned that the child and her 24-year-old coach, Miranda Sandoval, were engaged in an inappropriate relationship. After investigating, they found evidence to support the allegations and arrested Sandoval on Tuesday. Sandoval has been charged with indecency with a child by contact.
Attorney contributor Anjali Nigam, an experienced sexual abuse lawyer, works with youth sports sexual assault victims and their families in civil lawsuits. He recently provided insight regarding when victims or their parents could file a civil lawsuit.
"Youth sports are valuable to their communities because they provide fun activities that foster social interaction and teamwork while increasing confidence in children. However, it is the duty of the organizations to ensure that children are kept safe from preventable dangers, such as grooming and sexual abuse."
"There have been cases of coaches sexually abusing players across the country, despite most youth sports coaches being honorable and trustworthy. When this happens, the perpetrators should be held responsible for the trauma caused to the children. It's important to look into the organization for possible negligence."
"Some cases of sexual abuse within youth sports could have been avoided. A youth sports organization might be considered negligent if others in the organization ignored previous allegations of sexual misconduct involving a coach. The failure to run proper background checks on the coaches would be another example of neglect. Youth sports sex abuse victims and their parents should seek the advice of a sexual abuse lawyer to help determine if they have a case for a lawsuit."