A 32-year-old youth soccer coach in Monmouth County has been charged with having sexual contact with two children and exchanging sexual photos and chats with at least eight children, authorities said.
Ryan Gunsauls, of Union Beach, faces 22 charges in total including asking children for sexual images and having more than 1,000 images of child sexual abuse, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office said.
The most serious charges include 11 second-degree offenses, which carry the possibility of 10 years in prison if convicted.
The victims range in age from 11 to 17 years of age, officials said.
Gunsauls was arrested Friday in Hazlet and is being held at the Monmouth County jail. A detention hearing is scheduled for Monday.
Gunsauls is also a volunteer firefighter with Union Beach Fire Company No. 1. He is on administrative leave from the department pending the outcome of the investigation, fire company President Michael Murray said when reached by phone Tuesday.
His attorney, Brynn Giannullo, couldn’t immediately be reached for comment Tuesday morning.
Anyone with information about Gunsauls is asked to call prosecutor’s office Detective Joseph Mason at 800-533-7443.
