Police arrested a youth basketball coach in Florida after he refused to release a youngster to his parents after the child stayed at his house for a sleepover.
Carl Philip Lombardo, 59, was detained by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office last week at his home in Ocala, Florida. He is accused of giving parents $5,000 for each of their children, as well as nine other accusations ranging from possessing child pornography to sexual abuse.
On August 31, officials came to Lombardo’s home after the parent of a 15-year-old child said Lombardo refused to return their child following a sleepover. Following the event, an investigation into Lombardo began, according to an arrest warrant acquired by USA TODAY.
According to the affidavit, Lombardo emailed the child’s parents a video of the child pretending to write a note expressing a desire to stay with him.
“He grows upset after saying, ‘I’m writing this letter becauseā¦’. He lowers his head as he cries, and the defendant can be heard on the other side of the camera yelling, ‘Stop crying, just do it!'” the arrest document stated.
An investigation into Lombardo reveals possible abuse.
When deputies spoke with Lombardo, he revealed to authorities that he attempted to buy the children from their parents for $5,000.
During the inquiry into Lombardo, numerous youngsters told police that he had sexually handled them and taken naked images of them. According to the arrest document, Lombardo turned over two cellphones to police.
These were multiple images of Lombardo cuddling with the children, as well as photographs of their feet and other child sexual abuse material.
According to a Facebook post from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Lombardo exploited his position as a basketball coach to acquire the trust of the victims’ families and hold these sleepovers on several occasions.
“He developed a pattern of keeping the children at his home for multiple-day stays, during which he molested two of the juvenile victims, exposed himself to the children, and photographed them inappropriately,” the sheriff’s office revealed.