BOULDER, Colo. — A former youth soccer coach in Boulder turned himself into authorities Wednesday after a grand jury indictment on child sex assault charges.
Philip Peters Hufstader, 35, has been charged with one felony count of sexual assault on a child - position of trust - pattern of abuse.
Hufstader coached for FC Boulder soccer club but resigned August of last year after allegations he was having an “inappropriate and illegal” sexual relationship with a 16-year-old player.
On August 27, 2017, the victim’s mother reported to the executive director of the club that she had recently observed her 16-year-old daughter engaging in sexual activity with Hufstader, according to court documents obtained by Denver7 Thursday.
The documents detail that the victim’s mother saw the two in the suspect’s car in the practice field’s parking lot earlier in the day. She told the executive director that she went to the practice field to check on her daughter, who was receiving private lessons from Hufstader.
According to the documents, she discovered the two in the suspect’s back seat “possibly engaging in sexual activity” when she couldn’t find the two on the practice field. At that point, she called her husband who then reported the incident to the sheriff’s office.
The grand jury heard testimony from a detective who interviewed the victim’s father. The father told the detective he “was not able to have a detailed conversation with the [the victim] about what happened but confirmed that Mr. Hufstader used a condom that day,” the affidavit read.
The victim told the grand jury that she and Hufstader had an “ongoing, secret, sexual relationship” that began in March 2017. She testified that the sexual encounters occurred on several occasions after private soccer lessons with Hufstader.
Several months before the grand jury heard testimony, Hufstader was approached by a Boulder police officer in a park. The police report states that on October 28, 2017, Hufstader was on the park’s playground equipment using binoculars to watch youth soccer games.
Hufstader told the responding officer that he “used to coach, but I don’t anymore, I used to play so I was just watching.” The responding officer looked up a news article related to his recent resignation from the soccer club and advised him he should leave and not return to the practice field.
Hufstader appeared during an advisement hearing Thursday. His next court date is unknown.
