2 Victims Confirmed, 4 Possible in Garland Soccer Coach Abuse Case

Police still worried other victims may not come forward

New details are emerging about a former Garland Soccer Association Coach at the center of a child abuse investigation.

Police have confirmed two victims of former soccer coach Bernardo Mondragon-Guzman. The current charge against Mondragon-Guzman is Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child, a first-degree felony, for allegedly sexually abusing a 10-year-old player several times.

Garland police say they are preparing two additional charges of Indecency With a Child -- Contact, a second-degree felony, for the second confirmed victim.

Police have also identified four more possible victims, making a total of six young boys -- possibly all from the same team -- that could have had inappropriate contact with the former coach.

Investigators are concerned additional victims may be afraid to come forward and testify because of their immigration status. Investigators said the majority of the children Mondragon-Guzman coached were Hispanic. 

"That's one of the things that we want to put out again and reconfirm, is that we are not concerned with their immigration status, we're trying to identify these children so that we can get them help,"  said Officer Joe Harn with the Garland Police Department.

The department gives its word that regardless of status, investigators want to help the victims.

"We want to encourage any other victims who may be out there to come forward," said Garland Police Chief Mitch Bates. "We care about the children in this community. We don't want any perception or perceived, whether it's immigration status or anything else, to stand in the way."

Hispanic community leaders from the League of United Latin American Citizens and the Garland Association for Hispanic Affairs joined police at a news conference Monday to ask parents to come forward and talk to police without fear of deportation.

"We are all victims, the families as well as the children are victims, and we want them to feel safe and comfortable in coming forward and let us know whether their child is a victim or not," said Garland LULAC President Consuelo Ramos-Kaiwi.

Investigators say Mondragon-Guzman was in the country illegally. He's being held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Apparently he passed through background checks without being in the country legally.

Parents concerned about possible abuse are urged to call  the Garland Police Department at 972-485-4840.

NBC 5's Tammy Mutasa. Omar Villafranca and Randy McIlwain contributed to this report.

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