MARION COUNTY, Fla. – A former Boys and Girls Club basketball coach is accused of using his position to molest children and take sexual photos of them, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
The parents of a 15-year-old boy called the Marion County Sheriff’s Office to report that Carl Lombardo, 58, refused to return their son home after the boy attended a sleepover at Lombardo’s home on Spring Lake Place in Ocala.
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Deputies said Lombardo took the boy’s siblings, who were also at the sleepover, to their parents on Aug. 31 but refused to return the 15-year-old.
The concerned parents confronted Lombardo, and he responded with a video of the 15-year-old pretending to write a note requesting to stay with him.
Deputies said “it was clear” the teen was coerced into filming the video because he was emotional as Lombardo was heard belittling him for hesitating.
When the parents threatened to call the police on Lombardo, deputies said, he told them “he was not concerned because he works with the schools and his reputation is spotless.”
The teen was eventually returned to his parents, but the investigation revealed that several children ages 11 to 15 years old would stay with the former coach for multiple days at a time.
Lombardo told detectives in an interview on Sept. 18 that he was trying to “save” the children from abuse at their home.
Several of the children told deputies that Lombardo would inappropriately touch them and take lewd photos of them.
According to MCSO, two of Lombardo’s cell phones had child sex abuse material (CSAM) on them and numerous images of Lombardo cuddling with the children as well.
The investigation concluded that Lombardo had a pattern of keeping the children, molesting two of them, exposing himself to them and inappropriately photographing them, detectives said.
Detectives said he also admitted that he offered the children’s parents $5,000 each to keep them.
The sheriff’s office said Lombardo confirmed that one of the children was photographed in the CSAM images that were found on his phone.
Lombardo is charged with human trafficking of a child for commercial sexual activity, interference with child custody, lewd or lascivious molestation of a victim between 12 and 16 years old, lewd and lascivious exhibition and two counts of production of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
Detectives believe there could be more victims out there. If you have any information, call 352-351-4710.