Overview
- The Oral Criminal Court No. 1 in La Plata convicted Gerardo Tomás Ponce, a former coach at Juventud and Sudamérica, for offenses against minors between 2005 and 2010.
- The court found a sustained pattern of abuse during practices, team trips, and at private homes, including groping, exposure to pornography, and forced oral sex.
- A computer expert traced anonymous sexual messages sent in 2008 to the internet connection at Ponce’s residence, a key technical element in the case.
- Prosecutor Jorge Paolini requested a 21-year sentence, victim attorneys Alfredo Gascón and Miguel Molina sought 50 years, and defense lawyer Gastón Nicocia argued for acquittal.
- Ponce has been in custody since 2021 and will remain imprisoned as his defense considers appeals, with victims in court applauding the verdict.