An independent Miami-area basketball coach accused of showing players pornographic videos and fondling one of them says the allegations were fabricated in retaliation after he kicked the teens off his team.
Lorenzo Green was arrested Thursday and charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious molestation, four counts of lewd and lascivious exhibition and four counts of prohibition of certain acts in connection with obscenity.
"I'm not a monster, these kids need me, I need these kids," Green told NBC 6 Tuesday.
According to the arrest affidavit provided by Miami Police, two victims, aged 13 and 15, came forward to make the allegations against the 50-year-old. One victim told police that Green would have them sleep over his house before and after games to participate in masturbation contests, where the winner would get $50, the arrest affidavit said.
Miami police say Green admitted that he was in the room when the boys were watching a pornographic video and masturbating collectively. Green said that's not entirely true and that he only admitted to walking in on the boys watching porn.
He added that the accusations were retaliation after the two teens, who are brothers, were kicked off the team following an argument with one of them.
"He disrespected his mom over the phone and I got on him about respect because I just lost my mom, you know, and I got on him, 'Why you talking to your mom that way?' that's when it escalated," Green said.
Green says he's been an independent coach in the low-income areas around Miami for 20 years. He says his goal has been to keep children off the streets.
On Tuesday, he choked up as he read some of the letters he's received over the years from players who call him their "father figure."
"Thank you for all the stuff you did for me. Because if it wasn't for you, I don't know where I would be," one letter said.
Green has been released on bond. A judge has ordered him not to have any contact with any children.
"These kids keep me going and it's killing me that I can't keep on making a difference in their lives," Green said.
