Ryan Gunsauls, a 32-year-old former volunteer firefighter and police dispatcher, has been indicted on charges that he allegedly sexted and molested children, some as young as 11 years old, while serving as a youth soccer coach in New Jersey.
Monmouth County prosecutors say that Gunsauls was first arrested in May after a player accused him of sending him sexually explicit material online and asking for similar material in return.
Eight players have come forward, the oldest aged 17 and the youngest, 11. Investigators claim that the former coach confessed to sending sexually explicit material through team chats, including pictures of his penis, and to picking up two players and driving them to local playing fields where he molested them in his car.
Prosecutors say Gunsauls revealed to them that the sexting and molesting incidents took place over a three-year timespan.
Gunsauls faces a 30-count indictment; the charges include:
- Four counts of first-degree and four additional counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child by manufacturing child sexual abuse material;
- Eight counts of second-degree child endangerment by way of sexual conduct;
- Nine counts of distributing obscene materials to minors;
- Two counts of criminal sexual contact;
- One count of second-degree child endangerment through distributing child sexual abuse material;
- One count of third-degree endangering by way of sexual conduct and
- One count of third-degree possession of child sexual abuse material.
Gunsauls remained imprisoned on judge’s orders after his initial arrest in May. However, after the father of a 12-year-old boy approached authorities with evidence of sexually explicit conversations between his son and Gunsauls on the child’s cell phone, the Special Victims Unit of the prosecutor’s office launched a joint investigation with Union Beach PD, which revealed eight more alleged victims.
“Gunsaul’s attorney, Michael J. Pappa of Hazlet, said his client will be entering a not guilty plea at his arraignment,” according to the Asbury Park Press.