Youth football coach in court for sexual assault

A Menifee youth soccer coach accused of sexually assaulting a Coachella Valley girl must stand trial, a judge ruled today.

Rosario Navarro Gonzalez was initially charged with two counts of sexual battery of a minor, according to court records. He pleaded not guilty to the charges on December 22, 2022, at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.

After Gonzalez was summoned to answer on Wednesday, he must appear in court again on September 18 for a subsequent preliminary hearing.

According to Sergeant F. Schiavone of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, officers with the Palm Desert Sheriff's Station on May 3 initiated an investigation into an alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl, identified in court documents only as Jane Doe, that occurred on July 18, 2021.

According to Schiavone, Doe was contacted again by the soccer coach on February 5, 2022. The girl's parents subsequently reported the incident to officials and the Palm Desert Investigations Bureau later identified Gonzalez as a suspect.

He was arrested on September 22, 2022, but posted $35,000 bail the same day and was released from the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta, inmate records show.

According to a statement in support of the arrest filed by Sheriff's Department Investigator Katheryn Evans, Doe was more than 30 years younger than the defendant. Evans said Doe was a teenager when she met Gonzalez, who allegedly contacted her outside of the office through social media.

It is alleged that Doe first sent Gonzalez a photo without clothes and then reluctantly sent her more clothing, while Gonzalez sent her money and gift cards in return, Evans said.

On July 18, 2021, Gonzalez allegedly contacted Doe while she was at her grandmother's house and met with her in the Coachella Valley. Gonzalez allegedly grabbed her and kissed her before speeding away and remaining in the vehicle in shock.

Gonzalez allegedly persuaded her to get into the back seat of the vehicle, where she sat across from him on his lap while he touched her, pulled up her shirt and placed her hand on his private area, Evans said. She allegedly cried, said it was late and left.

In a second incident on Feb. 5, Doe was at a mall in Riverside County when Gonzalez allegedly messaged her to give her a birthday present, Evans said. It is alleged that Gonzalez gave her $200, she gave him a kiss and immediately backed away.

Evans said the victim deleted most of the pictures and text messages she exchanged with Gonzalez, but a few remained in which Gonzalez allegedly expressed her love and apologized for his jealousy.