Former Soccer Coach Faces Abuse Charges

Parents place a significant amount of trust in youth sports programs. When that trust is broken, criminal charges answer only part of the question. Families are left holding the rest. A recent arrest in Baltimore County illustrates the point.

What Baltimore County Police Reported

Roberto Carlos Huezo Garcia, 30, of Reisterstown, was taken into custody in August after county police obtained a warrant in late June. The charges include one count of continuously sexually abusing a minor, four counts of sexual solicitation of a minor, three counts of indecent exposure to a minor, and two counts of displaying obscene material to a minor.

Police said detectives had been receiving reports since January of 2026 involving male juveniles between the ages of 10 and 15. Garcia had coached for several private organizations across multiple jurisdictions and served as a contractual junior varsity soccer coach at a county high school from 2017 to 2020. Specifically, the following organizations were identified:

• Perry Hall High School
• Loyola Blakefield
• Pipeline

He has since been suspended from coaching. Investigators believe there may be additional victims.

Contact the School Sex Abuse Attorneys at KBD if Your Son Played Soccer in Baltimore, Harford, or Cecil County

Families who recognize a name or a program in coverage like this are often unsure what to do next. Many children, especially boys, may be hesitant to report; speak with your kids and remember, any consultation with us is confidential. Our Baltimore personal injury lawyer can review what happened and explain what options exist outside the criminal case. Our school sec abuse lawyers are trained to work with juveniles and emphatically help them find closure.

Grooming Rarely Comes From a Stranger

Adam Rosenberg of the LifeBridge Health Center for Hope told CBS News Baltimore that roughly 90% of child abuse is committed by someone the child already knows and trusts: coaches, teachers, family members, people with routine access.

Grooming is a process, not an event. It builds slowly, and it often looks like generosity from the outside. Many times victims are blackmailed or exploited into silence.

Warning signs worth taking seriously include:

• Repeated one-on-one time that separates a child from other adults
• Gifts, money, or favors offered without a clear reason
• Private messaging or social media contact outside team channels
• Transportation arrangements that bypass parents
• A child who suddenly withdraws from a sport they once loved

It’s important for your child understands this is not his fault. Predators are responsible for the life-long harm they cause.

Criminal Charges and Civil Claims Are Not the Same 

A prosecution is brought by the State. Its purpose is punishment, and the family has no control over how it proceeds or whether it results in a conviction.

A civil claim belongs to the survivor. It asks a different question: who allowed this to happen, and what did their failure cost. Damages can cover therapy, medical treatment, lost educational opportunity, and the long-term harm that follows this kind of injury. A Maryland sexual abuse lawyer can evaluate a claim independently of what happens in criminal court, and the two cases can move forward at the same time.

Where Institutional Responsibility Comes In

Clubs, schools, and leagues make choices about who they put in front of children. Those choices include background checks, abuse prevention training, and two-adult rules that apply during team travel. They also include reporting policies that get followed when a complaint actually comes in.

When an organization skips those steps, or hears a concern and does nothing with it, that decision can support a negligence claim against the institution itself. Liability depends heavily on the specific facts, including what the organization knew and when it knew it.

The attorneys at KBD Attorneys examine those details closely, because they often determine whether a claim reaches the entity with meaningful resources rather than an individual alone.

Moving Forward Carefully

Timing matters in these cases. Records disappear, personnel files get purged, and witnesses move on. Early review protects options that erode with delay.

Survivors and their families should also know that a civil case can be handled with real discretion. Our Baltimore, MD personal injury lawyer raises confidentiality in the first conversation, not as an afterthought.

If your child was harmed by someone a youth program placed in a position of trust, speaking with a Maryland sexual abuse lawyer at KBD Attorneys can help you understand what a civil claim would involve and whether an organization bears responsibility.

Reach out when you are ready. Call us at 855-KBA-LAWS (522-5297) or submit a confidential email to sexabuseattorneys@kbaattorneys.com. We have helped many families hold institutions accountable, let us help yours.