They arrested a teacher for sexual abuse of basketball students

A 37-year-old basketball teacher was arrested accused of having sexually abused at least two minors who practiced this sport from 2005 to 2010 in two sports institutions in the Buenos Aires capital, judicial and police sources reported.

The accused, identified as Gerardo Tomas Ponce, was detained by members of the Departmental Directorate of Investigations (DDI) after the request of the Functional Instruction Unit (UFI) 17 of La Plata, in a house located in the Buenos Aires capital, where a computer, two notebooks, digital storage devices and cell phones were also seized, police and judicial sources reported.

The denounced events occurred between 2005 and 2010, when two minors were victims of systematic abuse by the teacher

According to the data arising from the case, to which Télam had access, The reported events occurred between 2005 and 2010, when two minors – between 7 and 14 years old – were victims of systematic abuse by the teacher at the facilities of the South America and Youth clubs, both in La Plata.

Judicial sources reported that there is “partial evidence” or “vehement indications” that the accused, who was in charge of children between 4 and 13 years old, “took advantage of his role as an educator as basketball coach in the aforementioned entities” to win “the confidence of the children and their families and maintained ties with them outside of sports activities” such as birthdays and family reunions.

In addition, According to the complaints in the case, there are charges against him for crimes committed inside two private homes.

In the file there are testimonies that also indicate that the teacher sent emails with images of high sexual content to his students

Among the evidence collected to request their arrest, medical reports from experts and psychologists were incorporated into the judicial file, indicating the consequences that the victims still suffer today, such as “aggressive behavior against their parents, difficulties in studying and difficulties in inserting themselves into social life”.

Likewise, in the file there are testimonies that also indicate that the teacher sent emails with images of high sexual content to his students.

As indicated, the basketball teacher was transferred on Friday to a police headquarters, pending the investigation in the next few hours before the prosecutor in the case, María Eugenia Di Lorenzo, for “simple sexual abuse, aggravated sexual abuse with access carnal and seriously damaging to mental health ”.