Basketball Coach Accused Of Child Sex Abuse In Chesco

WEST CHESTER, PA —A 31-year-old Wynnewood man remained free Tuesday on $250,000 bail in connection with the sexual abuse of three girls he was coaching and training in Chester and Delaware counties.

Zachary Ray is accused of telling the child victims to remove their clothing for “core checks” and touching their genitals while stretching them, according to investigators.

“These kids and their families trusted him as a coach, a guide, and an instructor so they could grow as athletes, but instead, he violated them and altered the course of their lives with this horrible betrayal,” Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan said.

Ray was arraigned Monday before District Justice Martin Goch in West Chester on charges of aggravated indecent assault, child pornography, indecent assault, unlawful contact with minors, corruption of minors, and related offenses.

The investigation began in Philadelphia and carried over to Chester County.

In a Philadelphia case, Ray is accused of inappropriately touching the private parts of a girl who was 14 to 15 years old while he was providing basketball lessons. The victim said Ray had taken videos of him rubbing her private areas, according to police.

Chester County detectives said the Philadelphia case led to a subsequent investigation of three additional child victims in the suburbs.

According to Chester County detectives:

• The first victim, who is 18, said that she met Ray when he was coaching a youth basketball league in the West Chester area when she was 10 years old. He asked to check her core and then touched her private parts. The teen said Ray took photographs.
• The second victim, who resides in Schuylkill Township, reported that Ray inappropriately touched her during the fall of 2018 through the fall of 2019 at East Goshen Park.
• The third victim, who was 15 years old, told Radnor Township police in May that Ray placed his hands under her basketball shorts during training sessions.

Law enforcement believes there may be more victims still unidentified. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Ben Martin at 610-344- 6866.