Corsicana coach accused of molesting 8 of his players

CORSICANA, Texas - Police say a Corsicana soccer coach and illegal immigrant molested eight of his players -- all boys between the ages of 10 and 15. Since the initial allegations, police say more players are coming forward.

Marcos Ramos is behind bars for three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and five counts of indecency with a child. Police say he has several aliases and has been fooling people for several years.

Soccer players in Corsicana know him as 'Coach,' but Marcos Ramos is known internationally. Corsicana police say he's wanted in Guatemala for sexually assaulting children there. That's why police say he fled Guatemala and traveled to Houston illegally, where he coached a boys soccer team.

Ramos now has a warrant out for his arrest in Houston for aggravated sexual assault of a child. But he's facing more charges in Corsicana, where he's coached a recreational soccer team for the past four years.

In total, there have been eight boys who've said Ramos molested them.

Ramos had been living within yards of the team's practice field that is right across from a middle school.

A woman who lived next door to Ramos has a 15-year-old son. She recalled Ramos going to the store last Christmas to buy gifts for his players. She says he bought clothes, shoes and soccer gear. Police call that grooming.

"It breaks my heart because that could have been my kid," she explained.

Ramos is being held in the Navarro County Jail. Police will not say what his other aliases are but say more charges could be filed against him.

Corsicana police say Ramos only coached recreational teams and never coached for schools.

Police say one of the older boys in Corsicana came forward and that one person caused several other boys to speak out. Each boy is now about two years older than they were at the time of the alleged abuse.

Anyone with additional information on the case is urged to call Detective Cpl Rex Givens at (903) 654-4910.