MORENO VALLEY: A former assistant football coach at Moreno Valley High School was arrested Friday on suspicion of multiple felony sex crimes involving minors, according to a news release from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
According to the release, on Friday, January 31, 2014, at about 11:30 AM, a Moreno Valley School administrator was informed that a male assistant football coach, who previously worked for the Moreno Valley School District during the 2012 and 2013 school year, had solicited several juveniles in an inappropriate manner.
The school administrator immediately notified the Moreno Valley school resource officer assigned to the Moreno Valley High School. The officer determined that a past felony solicitation for sex crime occurred, ensured the safety of the students and requested assistance from station investigators assigned to the Moreno Valley Police Department. Investigators responded to the Moreno Valley High School and assumed the investigation shortly thereafter.
Investigators worked closely with school district administration concerning this case and determined that 19-year-old Moreno Valley resident, Manuel Leyva, had solicited one or more juveniles for sex.
The investigation revealed he was no longer working for the Moreno Valley School District and the preliminary investigation verified that none of the inappropriate behavior with any juveniles occurred on school district property.
During the course of the investigation, Leyva turned himself into investigators where he was arrested and booked at the Robert Presley Detention Center for multiple felony sex crimes involving the solicitation of a minor and possessing child pornography. Leyva’s bail is set at 1,000,000.00.
Investigators believe there are additional victims. He used social media to communicate and meet minors. The investigation is ongoing and we are reaching out to the public and asking anyone with information about this incident to contact Investigator James Merrill at the Moreno Valley Station at 951-486-6700.
