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Campbell man is arrested for alleged sex with students
Softball coach worked at Westmont, Los Gatos high schools
By Nathan R. Huff
Police arrested a Campbell man on Sept. 25, for allegedly having sex with a female student at Los Gatos High School, where he worked as a softball coach.
Todd Lafferty, 26, was taken into custody on a $1 million warrant at his Union Avenue apartment by officers from both Los Gatos/ Monte Sereno and Campbell police departments.
Last week, the District Attorney's office filed additional charges against Lafferty, after two more accusers came forward. He is expected to enter a plea on Oct. 12, in Santa Clara County Superior Court.
Lafferty has been charged with unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, two counts of digital penetration with a minor, two of oral copulation with a minor and one for a lewd and lascivious act with a minor.
A search warrant of Lafferty's apartment, executed at the same time as the arrest, revealed photographs of students at the school and greeting cards related to the alleged crimes, according to LG- MSPD Sgt. Tim Morgan.
Lafferty was coaching girls' softball at St. Mary's School in Los Gatos at the time of his arrest. He had previously worked as a walk-on girls' softball coach for Westmont High School during the 1996-97 and 1997-98 school years and for Los Gatos High School during the 1998-99 school year. Phone calls to athletic directors at St. Mary's, Los Gatos High School and Westmont High School regarding this story were not returned.
According to LG-MSPD Detective Randy Bishop, the initial charges were based on incidents that allegedly occurred over a four-month period in 1998 and 1999. The victim was a student at Los Gatos High School, but did not play for the girls' softball team.
The other two victims came forward after Lafferty's arrest. One of the victims was a 15-year-old Westmont High School student whom Lafferty allegedly met on the Internet in fall 1996, while he was coaching at that school.
The girl was not on the softball team. According to the charges, he later took her up into the Los Gatos hills, where the violations allegedly occurred. The other new victim was a 15-year-old Los Gatos High School student and member of Lafferty's softball team. As with the other victim, the alleged violations are believed to have taken place in Lafferty's automobile in the Los Gatos hills.
Deputy District Attorney Chuck Gillingham said the entire case was changed by the fact that multiple victims have surfaced. "It affects the whole case since it doesn't make it just one girl. This becomes more predatory in nature and obviously there is a pattern here."
Lafferty was arraigned on Sept. 26, at which time his lawyer, Steve Manchester of San Jose, filed a motion to reduce Lafferty's $1 million bail. A county Superior Court judge will hear Manchester's motion on Oct. 12. Lafferty is also expected to enter a plea at the hearing. Manchester did not return phone calls for this story.
The LG-MSPD began its investigation in March, following a report from Child Protective Services. According to Sgt. Tim Morgan, a staff member at Los Gatos High School filed the CPS report. Anyone who works professionally with children is required by state law to report any cases of suspected abuse.
Anyone with more information related to Lafferty's activities is asked to contact the LG-MSPD at 408.354.6825.
Staff writer Steven Raphael contributed to this report.
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Campbell, California
