Youth soccer coach accused of possessing child porn, molesting teenage boys
05:21 PM MDT on Thursday, May 12, 2005

Robbie Johnson
Idaho's NewsChannel 7

BOISE -- A Meridian man who coached young boys on the soccer field is now behind bars for possessing sexually exploitive material, and for suspicion of molesting young boys.

Thirty-seven-year-old Michael Patrick Bauer was arrested Wednesday afternoon and is being held in the Ada County Jail on a one-million dollar bond.

Investigators first talked to Bauer after suspicious activity was found on his work computer earlier this month.

Bauer is employed with the Department of Juvenile Corrections as an accountant.

Ada County Sheriff Gary Raney says after interviewing Bauer about his use of a state computer, Bauer admitted to being in possession of child pornography.

Although Bauer did not have contact with juveniles at this job with the state, investigators say he also admitted to having a number of inappropriate relationships with young boys over the past several years.

Bauer has lived in the Treasure Valley since 1990 where he has been a varsity soccer coach at Borah High School and assistant varsity soccer coach at Capital High School in Boise.

Most recently, he worked as a coach with Boise Capital Soccer Club.

"He would identify 12 to 16-year-old male juveniles, and especially vulnerable male juveniles, and he was able to groom a relationship with them using his interest in sports as a catalyst for a relationship,” said Ada County Sheriff Gary Raney. “He would take them to dinner, he would take them to sporting events, and he would slowly groom them into being a victim."

Raney says they have identified five victims in this case, but he declined to be specific about their exact relationship with Bauer. He expects more criminal charges will be filed against Bauer.


http://www.ktvb.com/news/topstories/stories/ktvbn-may1205-bauer_arrest.26a8a8ed8.html

This is a perfect example of how the best way to protection for children is awarness and education from the parents. The least suspecting people and people who arent on any list are just as dangerous to children.

There seems to be some false sense of security that anyone in a respected position is automaticly safe and can be trusted. Everyone is focused on those who are registered. Everyone is busy trying to "out" those on a list that they forget about those who havent been caught.

It really gets me with the idea of some states pushing for colored license plates for offenders while at the same time "oh hes a soccer coach so hes a good guy". Then when I read about urinating in public while at the same time "oh hes a soccer coach so hes a good guy".

By allowing all this hype with "registered" offenders we are setting our kids up for disaster from the ones they need to worry about. We are assuming and teaching our children that the ones on the list are the only ones they need to worry about.

At what point do the parents start taking responsability for not educating their children or setting their children up with false sense of security.