Bend HS volunteer wrestling coach accused of luring minor

A 24-year-old volunteer wrestling coach at Bend Senior High School was arraigned Thursday on 10 counts of luring a minor, accused of sending sexually explicit photos by social media to a student-athlete and trying to engage in sexual activity with the student.

On Wednesday, the student reported the incidents to Bend High staff and the school resource officer, Lt. Clint Burleigh said.

The student athlete reported receiving several sexually explicit photos between August and November from Erick Nazario-Aguirre of Bend and said at one point, he tried to get the student to engage in sexual activity with him, Burleigh said. The age, gender and school of the alleged victim were not disclosed by police.

Police said Nazario-Aguirre used a fake (disguised) account, pretending to be a recent graduate from another area high school.

Through discussions, the student was able to identify Nazario-Aguirre, Burleigh said. Working with Bend-La Pine Schools, police officers and detectives took him into custody after school on Wednesday.

Burleigh said police learned Nazario-Aguirre is a volunteer wrestling coach with “inconsistent attendance at practices and meets.”

He was arrested and taken to the Deschutes County Jail on five counts of luring a minor for sexual contact and five counts each of first- and second-degree online sexual corruption of a child.

Nazario-Aguirre was arraigned Thursday on the district attorney’s initial charging document, called an information, which charged him with 10 counts of luring a minor and stated the alleged incidents occurred between July 1 and August 30. He was beng held Thursday on $50,000 bail, jail records showed, and is due back in court Dec. 13 for arraignment on an expected formal grand jury indictment.

Bend police asked anyone with information about Nazario-Aguirre and similar criminal activity to contact detectives at 541-693-6911.