Soccer coach pleads guilty to third-degree sex offense
A North Bethesda soccer coach was found guilty of third-degree sexual offense in Montgomery County Circuit Court Sept. 22 after being charged with sexually molesting female soccer players he coached, according to court records.
Juan Jose Aranguri, of the 5700 block of Luxemburg Street in North Bethesda, pleaded guilty to the charge and is expected to be sentenced Oct. 19. Third-degree sexual offense, a felony, can carry a sentence of up to 10 years in jail, according to Maryland sentencing guidelines.
Aranguri was handed an 11-count indictment last October on charges of sexual abuse of a minor, sexual offense in the third degree and attempted sexual offense in the third-degree. The charges involved three young female soccer players. Aranguri pleaded guilty to one count of the indictment as part of a plea agreement, according to Montgomery County State's Attorney spokesman Seth Zucker.
The portion of the indictment to which Aranguri pleaded guilty stated that he rubbed his penis against a 13-year-old victim sometime between January and March of 2007. Police said the incident occurred while he was acting as her personal trainer.
Aranguri was arrested and released on bond three times last year in relation to the charges. His original arrest came after an alleged incident on July 9, 2008 at the South America Soccer Academy in Potomac, which he directed. According to charging documents, Aranguri massaged the legs of a 12-year-old girl and touched her inappropriately. He was released on 50,000 bond.
He was arrested again Aug. 26, 2008 after being charged with inappropriately touching a 14-year-old girl in 2004, and released on $25,000 bond. Aranguri was arrested for the third time in early October after a third victim came forward with allegations, and was released on $50,000 bond.
Before his third arrest, Aranguri had already stepped down as coach of a girls' team with the Bethesda Soccer Club and was suspended from coaching duties with MSI, one of the county's largest soccer clubs.
Correction: The original version of this article incorrectly identified Seth Zucker as Montgomery County State's Attorney. He is a Montgomery County State's Attorney spokesman.