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The Paly Voice

The Student News Site of Palo Alto High School

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Brief: Former baseball coach charged with child molestation

Former Paly baseball coach Joel Kaufman has been charged with a series of crimes, including child molestation. Kaufman is still at large and the Orinda Police Department is currently looking for him. Photo from the Contra Costa Sheriff's Office.
Former Paly baseball coach Joel Kaufman has been charged with a series of crimes, including child molestation. Kaufman is still at large and the Orinda Police Department is currently looking for him. Photo from the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office.

A former Palo Alto High School baseball coach was charged with three felonies and three misdemeanors involving child molestation Wednesday, according to Contra Costa District Attorney Chad Mahalich.

Joel Kaufman, Paly baseball coach for the 2006 season, is wanted on counts of sexual penetration of a drugged child, lewd and lascivious acts on a boy younger than 14 and molesting or annoying the same child between September 2005 and June 2012, according to multiple news sources.

Kaufman has also been charged with one misdemeanor count of videotaping another minor male victim while the boy was undressing in a bathroom.

Kaufman is the owner of Triple Play U.S.A., a batting cage facility in San Leandro, and is the head coach of the California Smoke, a traveling high school baseball club team, sources say.

Physical education teacher David Duran was shocked when he heard about the allegations.

“You’re always surprised when something like this happens,” Duran said. “It’s awful.”

Authorities currently do not know the whereabouts of Kaufman and ask that anyone with information on the case contact Orinda Police Sgt. Neil Rafanan or Detective Travis Dennison at 925-254-6820.

More information to come.

To read more about this story, click on the following links:

Police look for East Bay baseball coach wanted for child molestation (ABC 7 News)

Baseball coach from Orinda charged with child molestation (Contra Costa Times)

Business Owner and Ex-Baseball Coach Accused of Molesting and Filming Teenage Boys (Patch.com)

Former Bishop O’Dowd, Palo Alto baseball coach charged with child molestation (San Jose Mercury News)

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