Las Vegas police arrest youth soccer coach as ‘sexual predator’

Las Vegas police arrested a youth soccer coach Sunday on charges of molesting one of his 13-year-old team members and were searching for more potential victims.

Sexual assault Lt. Dan McGrath called Marvin Geovanny Juarez a "sexual predator" who probably molested more than one boy while coaching the Atleticos Club Las Vegas soccer team.

"I feel confident in saying we believe there are more victims," McGrath said at a news conference Tuesday.

Detectives arrested Juarez after one of his team members came forward and described being raped on two occasions inside Juarez's apartment near the Strip.

Juarez, 35, was being held without bail at the county jail on four counts of sexual assault, 11 counts of lewdness with a minor under 14 and two counts of unlawful contact with a minor.

"He is, no doubt, a sexual predator, and he is off the street," McGrath said.

Police learned of the allegations Sunday when the victim's mother flagged down a passing patrol officer.

The boy told detectives that he went to Juarez's apartment, at 1550 Harmon Ave., on Thursday after practice. Juarez told him to take off his clothes, which the boy did because he was afraid, according to a police report.

After Juarez raped and fondled the boy on his bed, he took the boy to get some food before taking him home, the report said. After practice two days later, Juarez bought the boy new shin guards and shoes, then went to his apartment and assaulted him again, the report said.

The boy told his mother, who notified police.

Under questioning by police, Juarez refused to have a lawyer and said, "What he was going to say was going to be life changing," the report said.

He told detectives he had been abused as a child in El Salvador and had known the boy through the soccer league since August.

After practice Thursday, the boy asked Juarez whether he was homosexual and "Do you want me?" Juarez told police, according to the report.

He said they went to his apartment and engaged in consensual kissing before the sexual contact, the report said.

During the second encounter, Juarez put a shirt over the boy's face "so he would not see how young he really was," the report said.

Juarez told police he knew what he did was wrong because of the boy's age, and he said he wouldn't have done anything if the boy "would not have asked him," according to the report.

McGrath would not say whether Juarez admitted to sexually assaulting other boys, but McGrath said he was confident there are other victims.

Juarez had access to many boys between the ages of 12 and 15, and detectives will contact every boy on Juarez's teams if necessary.

McGrath emphasized that Las Vegas police are not concerned about the immigration status of any potential victims, and he commended the 13-year-old boy for coming forward to his mother.

"There is no doubt this prevented further sexual assaults from occurring," McGrath said.

Contact reporter Brian Haynes at bhaynes@review
journal.com or 702-383-0281.