Texas coach arrested for sexually assaulting teen cheerleader who started training with him when she was 10
A cheerleading and gymnastics coach from San Antonio was arrested on Friday for sexually assaulting one of his teenage students for over two years, according to reports. The coach, identified as 33-year-old Robert Thomas Kotara, has been charged with sexual assault of a minor.
Reports state that Kotara's alleged victim, who is now 18, had been training with him ever since she was 10 years old. The girl, in the court documents provided to the Houston Chronicle, described how the sexual assault began unfolding when she was 16, and then went on to become a "regular occurrence" over the next years.
The teenager in the documents stated that Kotara, on one occasion, asked her to run an errand with him. However, he took her to a local hotel, gave her alcohol and subsequently engaged in sexual intercourse with her, reports state. In another incident, he asked her to babysit his child while he went for work. However, the girl alleged that he had sex with her in his house while the child was in the same room.
The court documents also detailed testimony from a fellow coach who said that he saw Kotara with the teenage girl sitting naked on his lap. Text messages submitted to the authorities in July 2018 showed how the coach confronted Kotara about the incident. However, it was not clear if the incident was brought to the attention of the authorities. The documents did not specify the gym where Kotara had been working when the sexual assaults occurred.
According to officials, the 18-year-old attempted to cease all contact with Kotara, however, she alleged he continued to try to establish contact with her through her email.
Court documents also showed that Kotara has previously been charged for burglaries at several gyms where he was employed. An investigation into the case is ongoing.