PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (WFLA) — A former teacher and coach at Charlotte High School was federally indicted on four charges related to child pornography, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office announced.
An investigation began in April into the allegations against Dagoberto Pena, 37, after a parent discovered disturbing conversations between him and her child on the child’s cellphone.
Detective Don Woelke, who is assigned to the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, has federally indicted Pena on four charges related to child pornography.
According to the CCSO, the Punta Gorda Police Department obtained a search warrant for both Pena’s cell phone and work phone uncovered graphic images, text messages, and videos between Pena and three juvenile victims.
Pena was a basketball coach at Charlotte High School.
Using his position, Pena would lure victims into vulnerable situations, deputies said.
Pena would offer things like free private training sessions and gifts of expensive apparel and shoes to gain the victims’ trust.
After gaining their trust with gifts and free sessions, it escalated into inappropriate sexual relationships between Pena and the victims, CCSO said.
“It is our job as adults, especially adults in trusted positions, to protect our children at all costs. To see that trust betrayed in such a disgusting manner is nothing short of evil. There is no excuse in the world that can justify the actions of this master manipulator, and I am thankful to Detective Don Woelke for working to charge this predator accordingly. Unfortunately, these sickening individuals exist, but I take comfort knowing one less is walking freely in Charlotte County. My sincere hope is that the victims and their families can begin the healing process knowing he is being held accountable for his actions,” Sheriff Bill Prummell said.
According to CCSO, Pena would travel to a victim’s home to engage in sexual activities and record their encounters despite the victim verbalizing that they were uncomfortable with it.
Pena would then remind them to erase the explicit videos and images after he sent them and warned that if they told anyone about their relationship, he would go to jail.
On April 29th, Pena was arrested and charged with:
- Unlawful sexual activity with certain minors
- Lewd lascivious battery encourages sex victim less 16 years of age
- Lewd lascivious victim 12 to 16 years of age x2
- Traveling to meet a minor after using computer to lure child x2
- Authority figure solicit engage sex conduct with student x2
The Punta Gorda Police Department handled the state-level charges against Pena.
On July 9, Pena was federally indicted on the following charges:
- Two counts of production of child pornography
- One count of receipt of child pornography
- One count of possession of child pornography.
“There is no place in our schools, or our society, for individuals who prey on children. The arrest of Dagoberto Pena is a vile and unforgivable betrayal of the trust families place in us. Our number one priority is protecting students, and we will always support law enforcement in ensuring that individuals like this are behind bars, exactly where they belong,” Mark Vianello, Superintendent of Schools said.
CCSO, anyone with information or anyone who feels their child may also be a victim, to contact the sheriff’s office at 941-639-2101.