H.S. baseball coach charged with sex assault

SOUTH PHILADELPHIA - September 21, 2011 (WPVI) -- Neumann-Goretti coach Louis Spadaccini now faces indecent assault and related charges after another male victim came forward to police late Tuesday.

Police re-arrested Spadaccini on the new charges last night just before 10 p.m. Authorities say a 13-year-old boy came forward and told them that Spadaccini gave him alcohol and sexually assaulted him on three occasions during July and August of this year.

Spadaccini is now charged with Involuntary Deviant Sexual Intercourse, Unlawful Contact with a Minor, Endangering the Welfare of a Child, Simple Assault, Indecent Assault, Furnishing Alcohol to a Minor and other related offenses.

Spadaccini remained in police custody Wednesday due to these new charges. He had been freed on $15,000 bail after being arrested earlier Tuesday on charges linked to an intoxicated 14-year-old player on the baseball team.

Late Tuesday, prior to the sexual assault and other additional charges being filed, Action News caught up with baseball coach Louis Spadaccini in South Philadelphia.

However, the coach was not interested in speaking with us about his arrest and charges against him.

"The coach, this adult male, provides beer and alcohol to this young male," Philadelphia Police Captain John Darby said during a Tuesday afternoon news conference.

Authorities say the sordid affair took place in a hotel room at the Holiday Inn on Packer Avenue late Sunday.

Authorities say the 37-year-old Neumann-Goretti coach had picked up one of his 14-year-old baseball players near the boy's South Philadelphia home under the guise that they were going to watch some sports on TV.

Authorities say over the course of several hours, Spadaccini gave the boy beer, alcohol and a narcotic prescription drug that left him in a drunken stupor.

The boy's parents were aware he was with the coach, but assumed they were meeting for baseball reasons. After several hours, they became very concerned and started making phone calls. Eventually, the boy was taken home to his worried parents.

"The parents observed that their son is in a state that would require medical attention, that he's very intoxicated," Darby said.

The teen was taken to Methodist Hospital then moved to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia where he was treated and released.

In the case of the 14-year-old, Spadaccini has been charged with corrupting the morals of a minor, reckless endangerment, simple assault, luring and furnishing alcohol to a minor. Authorities say there was no sign of sexual abuse found on that teen.

There is a concern that there may be more victims and District Attorney's Office encourages anyone with information to contact the Philadelphia police department at 215-685-3251.

"We have activity here that would certainly indicate the possibility, the possibility, that this has occurred in the past. It's dangerous activity and we obviously want anyone that may have had any type of similar situation, whether that be juvenile or parents, to give us a call at Special Victims Unit, and, as you know, we will pursue that," Darby said Tuesday.

News of the arrest of Spadaccini, a respected coach who was named this year's Catholic League Coach of the Year, shocked many at Neumann-Goretti High School. He has been the coach of at the school for the past 5 years and took the team to its first Catholic League Championship in 49 years. He also is a graduate of Neumann-Goretti.

"Coach Lou was an admired coach and an outstanding member of our community and the Neumann-Goretti family; we're really sad and shocked," Neumann-Goretti President John Murawski said.

Murawski says the coach underwent background checks.

Counselors will be at the school tomorrow.

"We will also work with the school in providing support to students, to team members, to the family, and anyone who has been affected by this," Leslie Davila of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia said.

The coach has been placed on administrative leave by the Archdiocese as the investigation moves forward.

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philadelphia, pennsylvania, assault, south philadelphia, alcohol, crime

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