Garland Boxing Gym for At-Risk Youth Shut Down After Instructor Charged with Child Sex Abuse
A nonprofit boxing gym in Garland, Texas, backed by local police, has been temporarily closed after instructor Argie Santos was arrested on child sex abuse charges.
Garland Police Boxing Gym closed after instructor arrested on child sex abuse charges
A nonprofit boxing gym in Garland, Texas, supported by the city's police department, has been temporarily shut down following the arrest of one of its instructors on child sexual abuse charges, cbsnews.com reports.
The instructor, identified as Argie Santos, is not a Garland police officer. Santos remains held at the Garland City Detention Center. Police have said further details about the case will be released at a later date.
Law enforcement sources indicate the known accuser was not affiliated with the Garland Police Boxing Gym. Nevertheless, Garland police have expressed concern about the possibility of additional victims and are urging parents whose children were enrolled in the programme to speak with them about any inappropriate contact they may have had with Santos.
The gym was founded in 1995 by then-officer David Swavey, now retired, with the aim of offering children from troubled homes an opportunity to learn the skills and discipline of boxing. Over its 32-year history, the programme is estimated to have served around 10,000 children.
"You're out there working the streets. You can tell there's a lot of kids that are misguided," Swavey told CBS News Texas, which had previously profiled the coaching and mentoring work carried out at the facility by both officers and civilians.
The gym is currently closed pending further developments in the investigation.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)