Redlands Youth Soccer Coach Arrested Having Sex With 14-Year-Old in Backseat of Car

Redlands Youth Soccer Coach Arrested Having Sex With 14-Year-Old in Backseat of Car

Jan 3, 2023

A Redlands, California, youth soccer coach has been arrested after police discovered him having sex with a 14-year-old girl in the backseat of his car.

During a vehicle check near Fairway Drive and Country Club Drive in the early morning hours Thursday, Redlands police officers approached Jonathan Jeremy Ledesma, 40. The youth soccer coach claimed the victim was his girlfriend, according to a report from FOX 11.

Should You Hire a Lawyer for a Slip and Fall Injury Case?

• How Common is Sexual Grooming by Los Angeles Coaches and Teachers?
• Warning Signs of Sexual Predator Grooming in Children
• California AB 218 Offers Justice for Child Sex Abuse Survivors
• Contact a DLG Los Angeles, California, Child Sexual Abuse Lawyer Today

“Shortly after 4 a.m., while on proactive patrol, Redlands Police officers contacted Jonathan Jeremy Ledesma with the victim inside his vehicle during an occupied vehicle check,” the Redlands Police Department said in a statement. “Officers located evidence of sex acts inside of the vehicle.”

“During a consent search of Ledesma’s phone, officers located text messages that were sexual in nature between the victim and Ledesma planning to meet up for sex,” the agency said.

The teenage girl confessed that she’d had sex with Ledesma several times over the past two months, according to police. Ledesma initially met the victim while coaching her at the age of 9 through the Redlands American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO), according to a report from ABC 7.

A San Bernardino County judge authorized a search warrant on Ledesma’s vehicle and phone, as well as a search of the victim’s phone, suspect’s person, and the victim’s person. Officers found various pieces of evidence that corroborated the victim’s statement, according to FOX 11.

Investigators believe there may be additional survivors given Ledesma’s access to children as a youth soccer coach for several years.

Anyone with information regarding the investigation or a sexual assault involving youth soccer coach Jonathan Jeremy Ledesma is urged to call the Redlands Police Department at 909-798-7681 ext. 1.

Ledesma is reportedly being held without bail at Central Detention Center in San Bernardino on various charges of sexual assault on a minor.

How Common is Sexual Grooming by Los Angeles Coaches and Teachers?

Sadly, Dordulian Law Group’s (DLG) blog has featured countless stories of area educators and coaches being either charged or convicted of sex crimes against local children.

Recent Los Angeles-area teacher or coach sexual abuse crimes that have made headlines include:

• March 2022: a Costa Mesa teacher was charged with over a dozen felonies related to molesting two young girls.
• February 2022: two Rialto assistant principals from Carter High School were arrested for failing to report three separate sexual assault allegations made by female students against a male teenager.
• February 2022: Michael Traurig, a San Mateo equestrian coach, was arrested on suspicion of molesting a 13-year-old student.
• January 2022: a former Mater Dei High School track and football coach was sued by an ex-student who alleged she was repeatedly raped as a 16-year-old.
• November 2021: a former Riverside teacher was charged with sexually abusing a child/ex-student more than 20 years ago.
• November 2021: a Riverside man was arrested in connection with numerous sexual assaults allegedly committed against Martin Luther King High School students.
• July 2021: multiple sexual abuse allegations at the Cate School prompted an investigation by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department.
• June 2021: Ojai’s Thacher School sexual abuse scandal was in the news following reports of systemic sexual violence and potential cover-ups. DLG posted a blog featuring first-hand anonymous accounts from Thacher School survivors.
• May 2021: an Anaheim elementary school teacher was arrested for allegedly possessing child pornography.

In a blog post from 2021, Dordulian Law Group’s founder offered specific tips for parents on how to protect children from sexual predators:

“It’s critically important to remember that sexual predators are notorious for seeking out positions (whether as a professional or volunteer) that allow them access to children. Granted, 95% of coaches, teachers, clergy, volunteers at religious institutions, etc. are likely upstanding citizens. But parents need to be aware that there’s no standard model for a sexual predator. A predator can be any of age, gender, socioeconomic status, etc.,” said Sam Dordulian, a former sex crimes prosecutor and Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County who has obtained life sentences against some of our community’s most heinous sex offenders.

“One major problem I consistently encounter with parents is their tendency to automatically view these individuals as sort of noble citizens. They don’t appreciate the potential predator instinct any random coach, teacher, clergy member, or even close friend or relative could have. I often tell parents about a case I was involved in as a Deputy District Attorney, where a teacher openly admitted that he chose the profession in order to have unlimited access to children. So, it’s important for parents to be aware that any professional who has direct private access to their children could potentially be a predator. Without encouraging paranoia, you do, in a sense, almost have to be on constant alert, because it can impact any child of any age/gender at any time. It’s not by accident that these people became teachers or coaches or clergy, it’s by design,” Dordulian added.

Additionally, DLG’s SAJE Team Chief Investigator, Moses Castillo, a retired Los Angeles Police Department sex crimes detective in the elite Abused Child Unit, offered some important tips for parents:

“It’s very important for parents to realize that the majority of sexual predators aren’t strangers, but someone close to the child and the child’s family. Whether it’s a coach, teacher, clergy member, family friend, or even a close relative, most childhood sexual abuse is committed by a familiar face,” said Detective Castillo.

“If an adult makes regular efforts to spend more time (typically alone) with your child than you do as their parent, that’s a red flag,” Castillo added. “Premeditated attempts to get a child alone – whether to go out for ice cream, take a trip to an amusement park, the movies, etc. – are situations that can be conducive to sexual abuse.”

Warning Signs of Sexual Predator Grooming in Children

The American Bar Association (ABA) reports that the key to understanding sexual grooming by teachers, coaches, and clergy is recognizing common behaviors that predators utilize while applying these tactics on victims for abuse.

According to the ABA, “common sexual grooming behaviors are often subtle and may not appear inappropriate to the untrained eye.”

Specific behaviors outlined by the ABA include:

• When an adult is overly interested in a child
• When an adult gives a child special privileges (e.g. rides to and from practices, etc.)
• When an adult frequently initiates or creates opportunities to be alone with a child (or multiple children)
• When an adult becomes fixated on a child
• When an adult befriends a family (but shows more interest in building a relationship with the child than with the adults)
• When an adult displays favoritism towards one child within a family
• When an adult seeks opportunities to buy a child gifts
• When an adult caters to the interests of a child (so a child or the parent may initiate contact with the offender)

When grooming occurs, children often become worried or confused, and therefore less likely to speak to a trusted adult. For parents who are concerned or would like additional information on sexual grooming, DLG’s SAJE Team is available to answer any questions you may have 24/7 via 818-322-4056.

California AB 218 Offers Justice for Child Sex Abuse Survivors

The California statute of limitations on childhood sexual abuse crimes is temporarily paused under Assembly Bill 218 (AB 218). AB 218, which took effect on January 1, 2020, tolls (pauses) the statute of limitations on all childhood sexual abuse through the end of 2022.

While AB 218 is in effect, any survivor of childhood sexual abuse or assault may file a civil claim seeking financial compensation until December 31, 2022. However, as of January 1, 2023, the standard statute of limitations will resume, and survivors who did not file claims will likely be left without any future legal recourse or ability to pursue financial compensation for various damages.

Some common damages that may be recovered through a childhood sexual abuse civil lawsuit include:

• Emotional trauma
• Psychological harm
• Lost wages
• Lost earning capacity
• Diminished quality of life
• Counseling or therapy expenses
• Pain and suffering
• Punitive damages

Moreover, California AB 218 features a treble damages clause which allows the courts latitude to triple financial damages awards in cases where cover-ups are proven. For example, if you are a sexual abuse survivor who was victimized through a systemic cover-up (at either an individual or institutional level), and that wrongdoing was proved in court, a $5 million damages award could theoretically be increased to $15 million under the AB 218 treble damages clause.

AB 218’s treble damages clause was included in the bill in an effort to severely punish bad actors who participated in systemic cover-ups. Such cover-ups often took place over the course of several decades in organizations including the Boy Scouts of America and Catholic Church, and have consequently impacted countless innocent survivors. Nevertheless, AB 218 offers all victims an opportunity at justice.

For additional information on California AB 218 and how it offers survivors of childhood sexual abuse an unprecedented opportunity at justice, please visit our recent blog post.

Contact a DLG Los Angeles, California, Child Sexual Abuse Lawyer Today

DLG is a leading California-based firm with decades of experience successfully handling childhood sexual abuse claims. We represent survivors throughout California as well as across the United States. DLG offers child sex abuse survivors a unique type of legal representation which includes a four-tiered team of professionals known as the SAJE Team.

Led by Sam Dordulian, DLG’s experienced teacher or coach sexual abuse lawyers have helped countless survivors secure maximum financial damages awards.

Some of our recent sex crime civil lawsuit victories include:

• An undisclosed multi-million dollar settlement for a rape survivor (our client had met a man on a ‘Sugar Daddy’ dating website)
• An undisclosed multi-million dollar settlement for a rideshare rape survivor
• A $675,000 settlement secured under AB 218 (our client wished to remain anonymous and recover the quickest possible settlement)
• An undisclosed maximum damages award for minimal contact under the eggshell plaintiff rule
• A $300,000 trial verdict for a local businesswoman against a prominent venture capitalist

Our Sexual Assault Justice Experts are here to help survivors secure justice. Contact our top-rated attorneys online or by phone for a free consultation today.

For a free and confidential consultation regarding your coach sexual assault or abuse civil claim, contact a member of DLG’s SAJE Team today at 818-322-4056. DLG’s childhood sex crime attorneys have helped victims recover more than $100,000,000 in settlements and verdicts while maintaining a 98% success record.