Coach Accused Of Having Sleepovers With Players: Cops

A Miami man, who says he's an independent basketball coach, was arrested for having players sleep over his house, showing them pornographic videos and touching one of them, police said.

Lorenzo Green, 50, is being 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, police said. He remained in jail Friday evening on $90,000 bond.

A judge also ordered Green not “to have any contact with any children under any circumstances.”

Police said Green claimed to be an independent basketball coach for almost 15 years.

According to the arrest affidavit provided by Miami Police, two victims, aged 13 and 15, have come forward.

"He asked the children to sleep over, and one child was awoken by him being fondled over the bed sheets," Miami Police spokeswoman Kenia Reyes said.

One victim told police that Green would have them sleep over his house before and after games to participate in the masturbation contests, where the winner would get $50, the arrest affidavit said.

Initially, Green denied the charges but then admitted he had watched the boys masturbating collectively and had let them watch pornographic videos, police said.

"The defendant further stated that he lets the boys watch pornographic videos and masturbate, because if they do not do it at his house, they will do it somewhere else," the affidavit stated.

However, he denied staging the contests, the report said.

At Edison Courts, where Green worked with young boys and teens, players and parents showed up Friday afternoon to defend their coach.

Assistant coach Lurnard Rodgers said his son played for Green and said he's a good coach.

“We need our coach out here,” Rodgers said, adding that Green hasn’t done anything wrong.

Rodgers said a teenage boy was recently kicked off the team because of discipline issues and that the mother of that boy made him lie to investigators about Green's alleged sexual activity. According to Rodgers, the woman is retaliating against Green for kicking her son off the team.

Police are working to identify additional victims in the case. Anyone with information can contact Miami Police at 305-603-6300.