'They trusted him' - Union Beach youth soccer coach ordered jailed on sex charges

FREEHOLD - A judge Monday ordered a Union Beach youth soccer coach held in jail without bail to await trial on 22 sexual-related charges to protect the safety of eight young players he is alleged to have taken advantage of.

Superior Court Judge Richard W. English granted the state's motion to keep 32-year-old Ryan Gunsauls incarcerated, despite arguments from the defendant's attorney that his client, a volunteer firefighter and former police dispatcher, would pose no risk to the community if he were to be released.

English said he was concerned for the safety of the large number of victims in a small community because Gunsauls' alleged criminal activity went on over a course of three years.

"This is not something that recently occurred, but has been occurring over time with players on the team, minors on the team,'' English said.

Keri-Leigh Schaefer, an assistant Monmouth County prosecutor, asked that Gunsauls be kept in jail, telling the judge the 32-year-old Union Beach resident, upon his arrest, confessed to engaging in inappropriate sexual conversations with players on his team, sending pornographic material to them in group team chats, sending photos of his penis to players, soliciting them to send him photos of their penises, and forwarding what was sent to him to other players. He also admitted engaging in sexual contact with two of the players, confessing that he would pick the players up at their homes, drive them to a ball field in Union Beach and molest them there in his car.

Gunsauls admitted to authorities that the inappropriate behavior involving children between 11 and 17 years old took place for more than three years, Schaefer said.

It was brought to light May 4, when the father of a 12-year-old soccer player discovered inappropriate conversations between his son and the coach on his son's cell phone and contacted the police, Schaefer said.

Three days later, another soccer coach learned from an 11-year-old soccer player that Gunsauls had sent him a photo of his penis and requested that the child reciprocate, Schaefer said. The 11-year-old child also told the coach that Gunsauls sent him photos of other players engaging in sexual activity, Schaefer said. That child said Gunsauls threatened to harm him if he ever disclosed the content of their communications, she said.

Gunsauls' parents sat in the courtroom gallery for the hearing. The defendant's mother put her head down into her hands as the prosecutor described her son's alleged crimes.

Gunsauls, facing 22 charges involving eight separate victims, "confessed to each and every one of these crimes, Schaefer said.

"He was an authority figure to them,'' she said. "They trusted him.

"We're dealing with children, some as young as 11 years old, who looked up to the defendant as their coach for guidance and support,'' she said. "Defendant was someone these children should have been able to trust. Some of these children, he's been coaching for years, and defendant abused that position of power and trust he had over the children, used that power imbalance to his advantage. He groomed these children by getting them to trust him, establishing an emotional connection with them, only to later sexually exploit them.''

Pappa asked that Gunsauls be released from the Monmouth County Jail and placed on home detention.

Pappa said Gunsauls as no prior involvement with the criminal justice system and argued that he is not at risk to flee the jurisdiction.

The defense attorney noted what he said were his client's strong ties to the community. Gunsauls, a lifelong resident of Union Beach, worked for 12 years as a dispatcher for the borough's police department, until Monmouth County took over the dispatching function, Pappa said. He now works for a heating and air-conditioning company in Morganville, eh said.

Gunsauls also has been a volunteer firefighter in Union Beach for 16 years, Pappa said.

"He has nowhere to go,'' Pappa said. "He has always lived with his family. He's not a danger to the community at large.''

English rejected Pappa's argument that Gunsauls doesn't pose a danger, saying the nature and circumstances of the alleged offenses "are clearly very concerning to this court.''

Gunsauls is charged with eight counts each of showing obscene materials to minors and endangering their welfare by engaging in sexual conduct, two counts each of criminal sexual contact and attempting to portray a child in a sexually suggestive manner, and one count each of distributing child sexual abuse material and possessing child sexual abuse material.

English scheduled Gunsauls' next court appearance for June 20 before Superior Court Judge Jill Grace O'Malley.

Kathleen Hopkins, a reporter in New Jersey since 1985, covers crime, court cases, legal issues and just about every major murder trial to hit Monmouth and Ocean counties. Contact her at khopkins@app.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Judge keeps Union Beach youth soccer coach in jail to face sex charges