MIAMI (WSVN) - A youth basketball coach from Miami was arrested for allegedly exchanging a series of inappropriate text messages and pornographic videos with a 10-year-old boy.
City of Miami Police said the pair met in person for the first time at the Gibson Park Community Center in Overtown a few months ago. The conversations via text, PlayStation 5 and FaceTime went on for sometime until the 10-year-old’s family found out and reported it to police.
“We know that this is something that is inappropriate, something incorrect and something illegal for an adult to be saying to a child,” said Miami Police Officer Michael Vega.
The suspect, 26-year-old Charles Williams, appeared in bond court Wednesday morning.
“What’s the victim? Ten-year-old child?” said Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy S. Glazer.
“Yes,” said a prosecutor.
“And he’s 26?” said Glazer.
Glazer ordered him to stay away from the victim and any child under the age of 18.
Police said this came to light when the victim’s older brother found the inappropriate messages between his younger brother and Williams after going through the boy’s phone.
“The brother sees some texts from the coach to his little brother, and inside those text messages, he sees that his brother sends the coach nude pictures of his genitals,” said Vega.
After the family alerted the authorities, the victim admitted to officers the pair had been communicating.
A deeper dive revealed a series of disturbing messages. One reads, “Lemme see da chicken,” referring to the victim’s genitalia.
At one point, police said, Williams sent the child a video of two people having sex, asking him, “Do you think you can do that?”
“Now, the coach also, through FaceTime, pulled down his pants and exposed himself to the 10-year-old,” said Vega.
Detectives said the suspect even promised to buy the boy an electric scooter.
Williams was arrested on multiple charges Tuesday at a McDonald’s on Northwest 62nd Street.
Glazer also ordered Williams to stay away from the Belafonte TACOLCY Center. During that same hearing, prosecutors revealed he has a record, one that includes touching a 6-year-old.
Officials believe they are more victims and urge anyone who has had any inappropriate interactions with Williams to come forward.
“Now, we suspect that there might be other victims out there. Anybody that has had contact with him, please come and tell the City of Miami Police Department of any inappropriate interactions they’ve had with this gentleman,” said Vega.
Williams is currently being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in West Miami-Dade.
Police said he is set to appear before a division judge Thursday because he is currently on probation for a felony out of Palm Beach County.
Detectives initially stated that the victim’s family believed Williams was a volunteer basketball coach at the Belafonte TACOLCY Center in Liberty City. However, the owner of the center told 7News that the suspect never volunteered at the facility.
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