CLYSC Coach Faces Charges He Sexually Assaulted a Child
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A former Canyon Lake Youth Soccer Club (CLYSC) coach and board member described as a “loving, involved parent — the last person you would suspect” is facing second-degree felony charges for sexual assault of a child.
Thirty-eight-year-old Justin Ray Villarreal will appear in Comal County criminal court for a pre-trial hearing at 9 a.m. on Wednesday.
Sources with immediate knowledge of the situation say the charges were filed in May following a separate but “precipitating” incident in Lake Sommerville State Park & Trailway.
There, Villarreal allegedly tried to molest a 17-year-old boy who fled the scene in Villarreal’s truck. After this incident, a second victim, a teenaged girl, also came forward.
UPDATE: According to Comal County court records, first-degree felony “continuous” sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14″ allegedly began in 2013. No further information is available.
MyCanyonLake.com reached out to Villarreal, who declined to comment.
CLYSC Vice President Don Kitzel did not respond to questions or emails as to whether other parents or young athletes have complained of inappropriate behavior by Villarreal, who in addition to volunteering as a coach joined the organization’s board of directors in 2015.
On Aug. 14, CLYSC posted on its Facebook page that its club president resigned in July and was no longer affiliated with the soccer group in any capacity.
Representatives with Alamo Area Youth Soccer Association and South Texas Youth Soccer Association, two groups that sanction CLYSC, also did not return emails.
Comal County Assistant District Attorney Lauren Cole will prosecute the case.
Comal County District Attorney Jennifer Tharp said she is ethically prohibited from commenting on pending cases and cannot share any further details. Assistant District Attorney Lauren Cole will prosecute the case.
Due to COVID-19, it is unclear which judge will preside over Wednesday’s hearing.
Villarreal was arrested in the Houston area on July 16 by Harris County Precinct 4 constables, who were asked by Texas Rangers to “assist with a sexual assault of a juvenile warrant arrest on a wanted felon.”
He was booked into the Harris County Jail for the open warrant out of Comal County, and arraigned in Comal County in October.
According to sources who decline to be identified, Villarreal is out on bond, living with his mother in the Woodlands north of Houston.
According to its website, CLYSC is a non-profit that promotes, fosters and perpetuates the game of soccer by providing youth with the opportunity to experience the game, learn and develop skills, and participate in a controlled recreational environment.
(Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Wednesday. Villarreal was not charged with continuous sexual abuse of a minor in 2013. That reference on the daily docket relates to current charges.
