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Pierce County youth coach faces child porn charges
Prosecutors in Pierce County have charged a man, who they say is a youth softball coach, with four counts of child pornography.
EATONVILLE, Wash. - Prosecutors in Pierce County have just arrested a man, who they say is a youth softball coach, accused of possessing child pornography and is charged with four counts of "dealing in depictions of minors."
The backstory:
Brock Maxwell is accused of possessing and sharing images that show children being sexually abused.
Parents tell FOX 13 they are very concerned and enraged due to the nature of the charges against the long-time coach in the Eatonville area.
"Absolutely disturbed and disgusted, and it feels like we can’t trust our own community anymore," said a parent who wanted to remain anonymous. "He teaches at least three sports a year."
She said she became very concerned after learning that Brock Maxwell had been accused in the case because there didn't seem to be any red flags.
Other parents are feeling violated and enraged and just completely blindsided. A lot of people felt like Brock was a really good coach," she said.
In this case, Pierce County investigators say they received a tip that "a user on the platform Kik was sharing child sexual assault material with other users on the platform."
Detectives with the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit say the material was shared between May 1st and June 1st.
Court documents state the files under investigation contained video showing kids ranging in age from 2 to 10 years old being abused.
They say the investigation showed the account was used on IP addresses and a device belonging to Brock.
"An investigation showed the account was used on IP addresses and a device belonging to Brock," stated the documents.
Detectives said they also found disturbing messages being exchanged, some talking about his own children to others in the chat.
Investigators also said in court documents he "currently coaches his daughter's softball team and has held other coaching positions over children's sports in the past."
What they're saying:
Another parent, who didn't want to be identified, says Brock coached dozens of kids, including her own, during his time in Eatonville.
"This was a major shock to me," said the parent. "He didn’t give out any vibes."
Court documents state he was arrested at his job at Capital Lumber in Tacoma.
Prosecutors summarized the case in court documents by stating;
"It is clear from these numerous chats that the defendant is both asking for and sending out child sexual abuse material."
"The defendant references having his own children on several occasions and references sending pictures/videos of them."
"At this time, the State has not verified whether or not those are truly pictures/videos of his own children or whether he was lying when he sent those images."
Parents say they're disappointed at the lack of communication from the Eatonville Youth Sports Association about the arrest and allegations.
"I am disappointed because they never sent out an email to any of us," said a parent.
FOX 13 reached out to the Eatonville Youth Sports Association, but has yet to hear back.
Meanwhile, detectives say while searching Brock's home, they found court paperwork from a previous sexual abuse materials case.
His trial is scheduled to begin September 13th.
The Source: Information in this story came from the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, court documents obtained in Pierce County Superior Court, and FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.
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