Soccer Coach Arrested In US After Videos Of Him Sexually Assaulting Children Found On Phone

A soccer coach in the United States' Tennessee has been arrested after he left his cellphone at a restaurant and employees of the establishment discovered sexual abuse of unconscious boys, the police said. The suspect, identified as Camilo Hurtado Campos, aged 63, was taken into custody on Sunday under suspicion of child rape and the sexual exploitation of a minor, Huffington Post reported. According to the Franklin Police Department, Campos exploited his position as a soccer coach to entice underage boys to his residence, where he subjected them to abuse.

Authorities revealed that Campos, who had been residing in Franklin for two decades, would travel to neighbouring areas to recruit young children from school playgrounds, inviting them to join his soccer team. "After gaining their trust, Campos invited many of the kids to his home where he drugged and then raped them," the police said in a statement, as per the Huffington Post report

Campos came on police radar when a local restaurant, where he had left his phone, contacted the cops. A staff member, attempting to identify the owner of the phone, searched through the device and was appalled to discover "unconscionable videos and pictures of children".

Further examination of the phone by law enforcement authorities revealed hundreds of additional videos and photos depicting child sexual abuse material. Authorities alleged that Campos had recorded himself sexually assaulting unconscious boys aged between 9 and 17.

“Detectives say that the children in these videos were in such an unconscious state, that they might not even realize that they are victims,” the police said in the statement.

As part of their investigation, the Franklin Police has urged parents whose children may have had contact with Campos, especially if he had been their soccer coach, to come forward.

A spokesperson of Franklin Special School District told the outlet that Campos had supposedly recruited children from playgrounds and soccer fields in the area during non-school hours. The spokesperson emphasised that Campos had never been employed by the school district as a coach, saying that the school is "heartbroken for the families who are affected by Mr Campos' alleged criminal acts".

At present, it remains uncertain whether Campos has retained legal representation.