Renoir Valenti, 50, allegedly used his position as a coach to become friendly with youngsters. Valenti was arrested nearly two weeks ago at his Lancaster home on suspicion of sexually assaulting three male soccer players.
Detectives said since Valenti's arrest, six more alleged victims have come forward. The boys are between 5 and 15 years old. All of the accusers are from the Antelope Valley and most of them are soccer players. Investigators said given the fact that Valenti was a coach for 16 years, there could be even more victims.
"I'm disgusted. Parents trust these people. That trust has been violated quite severely in this case," said Sgt. Brian Hudson of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
Hudson said the alleged crimes happened over the span of at least a decade. They occurred at various locations, including at parks and in the suspect's vehicle. Detectives said the alleged sexual assaults came to light after a woman reported to authorities in July that her son was a victim.
The American Youth Soccer Organization, the soccer league Valenti coached for, is said to be working with investigators. Parents who think their child might be a victim was asked to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Special Victims Bureau at (877) 710-5273.
