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A 48-year-old soccer coach suspected of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl pleaded not guilty to two felony charges Thursday.
Rosario Navarro Gonzalez of Menifee was charged with two felony counts of a lewd act on a minor, according to court records.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges Thursday morning at the Larson Justice Center in Indo.
Deputies from the Palm Desert Station began an investigation on May 3 to investigate an alleged sexual assault on a girl, identified in court documents only as Jane Doe, from her soccer coach that took place on July 18, 2021, according to Sgt. F. Schiavone from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
Doe was allegedly contacted again by the soccer coach on Feb. 5 while she was at a business in Temecula, according to Schiavone. The girl’s parents subsequently reported the incident to deputies and the Palm Desert Investigations Bureau later identified Gonzalez as the suspect.
He was arrested Sept. 22, but posted $35,000 bail the same day and was released from the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta, according to inmate records.
According to a declaration in support of arrest filed by investigator Katheryn Evans from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Doe was over 30 years younger than the defendant.
Evans said that Doe was 13 years old when she first met her soccer coach, Gonzalez, who would allegedly contact her through social media outside of practice.
It’s alleged that Doe first sent Gonzalez a photo without any clothes on when she was 13 years old and she continued to send them reluctantly, while Gonzalez sent her money and gift cards in exchange, according to Evans.
On July 18, 2021, it’s alleged that Gonzalez contacted Doe while she was at her grandmothers house and met up with her at the Word of Life church parking lot in Desert Hot Springs, Evans said. Gonzalez allegedly grabbed and kissed her before she scooted away and, in shock, stayed in the vehicle.
Gonzalez allegedly convinced her to go to the back seat of the vehicle, where she allegedly sat on his lap facing him as he touched her, pulled up her shirt and placed her hand on his private area, according to Evans. She allegedly cried, said it was getting late and left.
In a second incident on Feb. 5, Doe was at a mall in Temecula with her friend when Gonzalez allegedly messaged to give her a birthday present, according to Evans. It’s alleged that Gonzalez gave her $200, she gave him a kiss and immediately pulled away.
Evans said that the victim erased most of her images and texts exchanged with Gonzalez, but did have a few in which Gonzalez allegedly said he loved her and apologized for his jealously.
