DA files more charges against former coach
By Nathan R. Huff
New charges were filed against former Los Gatos High School girls softball coach Todd Lafferty, Oct. 2, two days before Lafferty is expected to enter a plea in Santa Clara County Superior Court.
The District Attorney's office has added four more charges to the case against 26-year-old Lafferty, who was arrested Sept. 25 on a $1 million warrant charging him with unlawful sexual intercourse and oral copulation with a minor. The district attorney's office brought the charges after investigating reports by two new victims who have come forward since Lafferty's arrest.
One of the new victims was a 15-year-old girl who Lafferty allegedly met on the Internet in the fall of 1996. According to the charges, he later took her up to the Los Gatos hills, where the violations occurred. The other new victim was a 15-year-old Los Gatos High School student and member of Lafferty's softball team. As with the other victim, the alleged violations took place in Lafferty's automobile in the Los Gatos hills.
Both of the alleged incidents with the Los Gatos victims took place when Lafferty was coaching the Los Gatos High School girls softball team during the 1998-1999 school year. The first victim, a 16-year-old student, was not a player on the softball team.
The four new charges against Lafferty include two counts of digital penetration, one of oral copulation and one for a lewd and lasviscious act, all with minors.
"It affects the whole case since it doesn't make it just one girl," Deputy District Attorney Chuck Gillingham said. "This becomes more predatory in nature and obviously there is a pattern here."
Lafferty was arraigned on Sept. 26, at which time his lawyer, Steve Manchester of San Jose, filed a motion to reduce Lafferty's $1 million bail. A Santa Clara County Superior Court judge will hear Manchester's motion on Oct. 4. Lafferty is also expected to enter a plea at the hearing. Manchester did not return phone calls for this story.
The Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department began its investigation in March, 2000, following a report from Child Protective Services. According to Sergeant Tim Morgan, a staff member at Los Gatos High School filed the CPS report. Anyone who works professionally with children is required by state law to report any cases of suspected abuse.
The investigation culminated Sept. 25, when police arrested Lafferty in his Union Avenue apartment at 7 a.m. A search warrant was executed at the same time, turning up photos of students at the high school and greeting cards related to the alleged crimes.
Lafferty was coaching at St. Mary's School in Los Gatos at the time of his arrest. He had also coached at Westmont High School in 1997 and for the Los Gatos-Saratoga Magic, a local girls' 14-and-under softball team, prior to that. Phone calls to St. Mary's and Westmont High School's athletic directors regarding this story were not returned.
Los Gatos High School Principal Trudy McCulloch said the school was informed of the charges at the same time the press release was sent to media organizations. A phone call to the school was made prior to the press release, but McCulloch said all the administrators were in a meeting. She added that the police department is normally "very good" about keeping the school informed of investigations of current employees or students, but since Lafferty had left following the 1999 softball season, the school had no knowledge of the case.
McCulloch said the school had received no complaints regarding Lafferty, and the news came as a complete surprise. "Obviously it's very sad when these things happen," McCulloch said. "Our goal is to protect our students as much as possible."
Several of Lafferty's former players expressed their own disbelief over the charges. Two girls who played on the Magic from 1995 to 1997 described Lafferty as "like a brother," and said he did not "have the capacity to harm anyone."
The two former players said they had stayed in contact with Lafferty since playing on the team for him, and that they regularly sent him Christmas cards. They said they took numerous photographs with Lafferty as well, in uniform and in casual clothes while traveling or at tournaments.
Both girls also said that they had heard rumors of the alleged incident with the first victim during the 1997-1998 school year, but had heard nothing since then. One said Lafferty had left Los Gatos High School because of players' "poor attitudes."
Los Gatos High School's athletic director Mark Magagna did not return phone calls for this story.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
