Details Under Wraps as Child Molestation Investigation Continues
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY — A man described by Santa Maria High School District spokesman Kenny Klein as “a walk-on assistant coach” for the school’s soccer team, was arrested on May 9th by Santa Maria Police Department detectives on suspicion of illicit contact with one or more of his young players.
According to the media report filed by the Santa Maria Police Department Watch Commander, 34-year-old Santa Maria resident Francisco Hernandez Sanabria is accused of “annoying or molesting a child under the age of 18 years and contacting a minor to solicit lewd photographs.”
Scant details about the alleged circumstances or current state of evidence pointing toward the crime are being made available, according to the SMPD release which indicated that law enforcement “will not be releasing any additional information regarding the minor or the circumstances in order to protect the identity of the victim.”
For their part, Santa Maria Joint Union High School District administrators would only indicate that they “investigate all alleged activity and will take appropriate action,” in spite of the fact that neither evidence nor any indication has been asserted “that this alleged activity involved any SMHS students.”
At this time, Sanabria—known in the Santa Maria community as a “club coach”—remains in custody in Santa Barbara County Jail, charged with alleged sex crimes about which authorities uniformly indicate “no further information will be released on this case as it pertains to the victim.”
Photo: Courtesy Santa Barbara County Jail Booking
