HOUSTON – A Pearland softball coach is charged after being accused of inappropriately touching an 11-year-old player, court records show.
Carlos Morgan, 59, is accused of having inappropriate contact with the child before and during batting lessons, officials said. Morgan was charged with indecent assault and was arrested on Thursday but has since bonded out.
According to the court documents, Morgan would pick up the girl and take her to batting cages at 5 Tool Sports Hitting & Training in Pearland.
“Quite frankly, I was flabbergasted, surprised, upset,” said facility owner Steve Jones. “Then, all of it turned to anger and disgust as you can imagine.”
Jones said Morgan frequently rented a batting cage at his facility. He said his facility is not the only location in Pearland where he trained young softball players.
“You would have never thought he would be that type of person,” Jones said.
The girl’s mother reported to police that Morgan kissed her daughter on the mouth and used his tongue on multiple occasions, per court documents. The alleged incidents happened in Morgan’s truck outside the batting cage facility.
Court records reveal the girl’s mother learned of the alleged abuse when one morning, the child was supposed to attend batting practice with Morgan and she told her mother she didn’t want to go. The mother told police she questioned the girl and that’s when she told her about the kissing.
According to court documents, Morgan would get upset if the child didn’t kiss or hug him back, bought her gifts and texted her “I love you,” and demanded a return text with the same.
When questioned by the police, Morgan admitted to kissing the chid but said he never used his tongue, per court documents. Police said he said he gave her a “peck” on the cheeks and lips.
According to court documents, Morgan also admitted to sending “I love you,” texts but not in a sexual gratifying, but as if she was his own child. He also said he bought her Christmas presents and other gifts.
One parent Kameca Coffey said she has known Morgan for almost a decade. He coached both her daughters.
She said Morgan had become more like a family member than a coach. His arrest came to her as a shock.
“I felt betrayed, I felt lied to, I felt stupid, I felt dumb. I felt… How could I put my baby in that situation? We trusted him," she said.
Pearland Police Department spokesman Jason Wells said since the victim has spoken up, several more have come forward.
“Unfortunately, we’re talking a wide range from anywhere to nine years old to 17,” Wells said.
Wells also said investigators believe there are other victims since Morgan has coached since the early 2000s.
If you want to report any incident, call the Pearland police at 281-997-4151.
The Pearland Girls Softball Association released a statement after accusations against Morgan came to light:
“Due to recent charges filed against Carlos Morgan Sr., PGSA would like to state that although he is a batting instructor in the city of Pearland he does not use any facilities under our control and is not affiliated with PGSA," the group wrote. "We take pride in our organization and your daughters’ safety is our first priority. PGSA requires yearly background checks and Safesport training for anyone currently involved in coaching.”