Garland boxing coach charged with child sexual assault after student's report

Garland police said the 42-year-old coach was arrested six hours after a 15-year-old reported an alleged sexual assault. Investigators expect additional charges.

A coach at the Garland Police 9th Street Boxing Gym is facing child sexual assault charges after a 15-year-old student reported an alleged assault at the student's home, Garland police said.

Police said 42-year-old Agenis Apdul Santos was arrested Wednesday, just six hours after the student reported the alleged assault to a school resource officer that morning.

Santos was charged with indecency with a child by contact and sexual assault of a child. Investigators said the victim was not a member of the boxing gym.

Garland police said Santos is no longer associated with the gym, and additional charges against him are expected as a team of investigators continues working the case.

Police also asked the Garland Police 9th Street Gym to temporarily shut down while the investigation continues. The building where the gym operates is owned by the city of Garland, according to police.

According to its website, the Garland Police 9th Street Gym has provided Garland youth with free boxing training, positive mentorship, educational support and life skills since 1995.

NBC 5 recently spoke with Dan Powers, CEO of the Children's Advocacy Center of Collin County, about the lasting impact sexual assault can have on children.

"It affects their mental health, their physical health, their education, their relationships. There's not a part of their life it doesn't affect. A lot of people think child abuse is just a physical thing, and it's not. It's an emotional thing. It's something that touches a child’s soul and changes the direction of their life," Powers said.

Powers said most child abuse happens at the hands of someone the child knows, which can make it especially difficult for victims to speak up.

"It may be somebody within their home, could be a coach, a pastor, a mentor, somebody within your life. Often it's somebody they care about and that dynamic makes it really difficult for children to let somebody know that someone's hurting them," Powers said.

The investigation into Santos remains ongoing.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC DFW. AI tools helped convert the story into a digital article, and an NBC DFW journalist edited it again before publication.