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Former Medford soccer coaches accused of raping player, 13

E-mail|Link December 22, 2009 12:49 PM

By John R. Ellement and Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

SOMERVILLE -- Two former youth soccer coaches from Medford pleaded not guilty today to charges of raping a 13-year-old girl who was on their team.

The two coaches -- Roger Lau and Thomas Heinz, both 26-year-old Medford residents -- appeared briefly in Somerville District Court. Lau remained out of public view during the proceeding, but Heinz stood before the judge with his attorney, Brad Bailey.

Heinz, who is accused of one count of forcible child rape, sat down with police and voluntarily submitted to an interview because "he had nothing to hide," Bailey said.

"He has nothing to hide now," Bailey continued, "which is why he is here in open court today."

Lau faces four counts of forcible child rape for allegedly carrying on a sexual relationship with the 13-year-old victim when he was in his early 20s. His attorney, Jason Thomas, also denied the allegations.

"We believe that once all the investigating is done, these complaints will be unmerited," Thomas said in court.

Prosecutors allege that the rapes occurred in the spring of 2003 and the summer of 2004, when Heinz was the head coach and Lau was an assistant coach in the under-14 girls soccer league in Medford.

The initial attack occurred when Lau allegedly brought the 13-year-old to his home under the pretense of watching a movie. There was no movie to watch, and Lau had sex with the girl, prosecutors allege. In court today, prosecutors did not give a specific date for the first alleged assault, and Judge Maurice Flynn ordered the case file impounded.

The charge against Heinz stems from an alleged assault that occurred at Lau's home, prosecutors said today in court. Lau was having sex with a woman while Heinz and the victim sat at the end of the bed, prosecutors said. Heinz then allegedly molested the victim, who was younger than the legal age of consent.

Prosecutor did not say today in court what prompted the alleged victim to come forward. She is currently 20 years old.

Lau was ordered held on $8,000 cash bail, which was expected to be posted by his family. Heinz was released without bail. He left court without speaking to reporters and climbed into a blue minivan driven by his father, Thomas Heinz Sr., who is a top official in the Medford youth soccer league.

"These are troubling allegations against two youth soccer coaches who we allege took advantage of their positions to sexually assault the victim when she was only 13 years old," District Attorney Gerald T. Leone Jr. said in a statement. "We allege that these coaches used their position in order to inappropriately contact, entice, and manipulate this vulnerable victim into forging a sexual relationship."

Heinz currently makes a living as a soccer referee. The judge today barred him from working games with children, saying he could only referee games involving participants 16 year of age or older.