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FBI hunts for NYC volleyball coach believed to have sexually exploited teens for years

fbi-hunts-for-nyc-volleyball-coach-believed-to-have-sexually-exploited-teens-for-years
FBI hunts for NYC volleyball coach believed to have sexually exploited teens for years

The FBI is hunting for a Big Apple volleyball coach they believe sexually exploited teens for potentially more than 15 years, according to the agency and sources.

The accused sicko, identified by the FBI as Edgar Lazaro Castillo, is believed to have fled the country, agents told parents of teens who were part of the NYC Impact Volleyball Club during a phone call this week, sources said.

The bureau on Monday put out a blast with Lazaro’s name and face, identifying him as a former coach “involved in the sexual exploitation of minors,” and asking for victims to come forward.

Headshot of a man with dark hair, a light brown complexion, and a blue collared shirt.

The FBI is hunting for NYC Impact Volleyball Club Edgar Lazaro Castillo, 36, who allegedly sexually exploited teens for over 15 years. Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

“The FBI believes he primarily targeted minors who participated in volleyball leagues between the timeframe of 2010 and March 2026 in multiple states, primarily New York City,” the message said.

The FBI’s New York field office declined comment further on Castillo, including on whether he had been charged with any crimes.

The US attorney’s office in Brooklyn is investigating him along with the FBI, The New York Times reported Friday, adding that he goes by Edgar Lazaro and was originally from Mexico, but grew up in The Bronx.

Castillo, 36, reportedly coached at Impact for about 10 years.

A player there recently filed a complaint alleging that he was assaulted by Castillo during a tournament in Boston in March — sparking the federal investigation, according to sources and the Times.

A high school student holds a volleyball about to serve while other players wait in the background.

The accused sicko, identified by the FBI as Edgar Lazaro Castillo, is believed to have fled the country, agents told parents of teens who were part of the NYC Impact Volleyball Club during a phone call this week, sources said. Monkey Business – stock.adobe.com

Sources also said Castillo was fired from the Legacy Volleyball Club in 2014 after claims surfaced that he was acting inappropriately with kids on the team.

“He was texting them and communicating with them on social media, which is a no-no,” said a fellow coach, who did not want to be named.

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“When this thing broke on the FBI, parents, coaches, refs and kids have been blowing up social media and the phone lines talking about him.”

Neither Impact nor Legacy responded to The Post’s requests for comment. The Garden Empire Volleyball Association, or GEVA, which oversees local volleyball clubs, also did nor respond.

Castillo couldn’t be reached for comment.

The seal of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) against a dark wooden background.

AP

Sources said he also had stints coaching at John Jay College for Criminal Justice and at the private all-boys Catholic school Xavier, both in Manhattan.

The question form that victims or parents of victims can fill out on the bureau’s website includes asking if they had contact with Castillo through social media apps Snapchat or Instagram, and if they traded sexual images or videos with him.

It also asks whether they ever received a payment from Castillo, and if so, through what platform.

During the Tuesday phone call, the FBI offered counseling to any Impact players who needed it while giving parents the names of agents on the case to contact, sources said.

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