A southeastern Massachusetts junior hockey league coach who founded and has coached a Middleboro baseball team since 2005 was arrested on Wednesday on charges that he tried to seduce two 16-year-old Florida boys online.
Anthony DeSilva, 41, a coach and general manager of the Massachusetts Maple Leafs, allegedly sent naked pictures of himself to the teenage boys ? who were actually undercover detectives ? and told them in explicit detail what he wanted to do with them sexually, authorities said.
The Maple Leafs? teams practice and play their games at the CDL Arena in Raynham and the Hetland Arena New Bedford. The players, ages 16-20, are from across the country, including Arizona, Nevada, Illinois and New York. The teams also have athletes from cities and towns as close as Taunton, Somerset, Dartmouth, Bridgewater, Dighton and Lakeville.
Massachusetts State Police troopers, working with Acushnet police officers and sheriff?s deputies from Polk County, Fla., arrested DeSilva on Wednesday evening at his home at 23 Fairfield St., Acushnet, said Gregg Miliote, spokesman for the Bristol County District Attorney?s Office.
DeSilva was being held in custody Wednesday at the Ash Street Jail in New Bedford. After he is arraigned locally on a fugitive charge, DeSilva will be transported to Polk County, where he is facing 10 counts of use of a computer to seduce a child and one count of transmission of material harmful to a child.
During a post-Miranda interview, authorities said DeSilva told Polk County detectives that he knew the ages of the two boys he was chatting with online and sending text messages. He also told detectives that he works the midnight shift at a group home for the mentally challenged owned by Community Resource Justice.
According to an affidavit, the Polk County Sheriff?s Department began its investigation in July after one of the 16-year-old boys? mothers reported that a man named ?Tony? was trying to solicit her son on Facebook.
After obtaining permission from the mother, detectives posed as the teenager and communicated with DeSilva, who allegedly described what he wanted to do sexually with the boy. Authorities said DeSilva also told the boy that he was a coach with the Massachusetts Maple Leafs, and that he had also coached baseball.
At the same time, authorities said DeSilva began soliciting another Polk County teenage boy. But that boy was also an undercover detective, authorities said.
DeSilva allegedly solicited both young men to perform sex acts and to send him nude photographs of themselves.
On Wednesday, after being arrested, DeSilva was booked at the Ash Street Jail in New Bedford. The Polk County Sheriff?s Office also served a search warrant at DeSilva?s home, and added that further charges may be pending.
DeSilva was arraigned Thursday in New Bedford District Court on a fugitive from justice charge. He signed rendition papers and will be transported today to Florida, Miliote said.
DeSilva served last year as an assistant coach with the Taunton High School hockey team and is no longer affiliated with the school, Taunton Superintendent Julie Hackett said in a message sent to parents Thursday night. She added that he has never had any other position in the school system.
"The safety and security of all students remains our top priority," Hackett said in the statement. "Parents and caregivers of hockey players or others with concerns are asked to notify us immediately of any issues that may require further investigation. Student support services are available at Taunton High School or can be arranged through your child?s guidance counselor if needed."
According to the Maple Leafs? website, DeSilva has coached and owned the Massachusetts Maple Leafs junior hockey program since its inception in 1997. In 14 seasons, he has accrued more than 600 wins as a coach, seven league championships and seven Junior National Championships appearances.
Kris Metea, the Maple Leafs? marketing director, could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday. Attempts to reach DeSilva were unsuccessful.
Email Brian Fraga at bfraga@heraldnews.com.
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