Baltimore County police warned Monday that a 46-year-old soccer coach arrested last month in a sex-abuse case may have molested other children.
"We're extremely concerned," said Cpl. Michael Hill, a police spokesman, referring to the possibility that Alexander Michael Sims, who was charged with sexual abuse of a minor and third-degree sex offense, had other victims.
Hill said that Sims was not only a volunteer assistant to the soccer coaches at St. Ursula Catholic Church in Parkville but had participated for several years in two Cub Scout packs — one from St. Ursula and another from St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Nottingham.
"We're asking that parents talk to their children," Hill said. "Mr. Sims seemed to always be putting himself into a place where he could be near children."
Sims, of the 8800 block of Fearne Ave. in Parkville, was arrested March 29 after detectives were contacted by a relative of a girl who said Sims had abused her. An investigation indicated that the alleged act occurred in the summer of 2009 when the girl, then 9 years old, went to Sims' home to play video games with one of his children. While playing a game, Sims sat the girl on his lap and sexually molested her, police said. He allegedly repeated the act on a second occasion last summer, police said. The girl "feared saying anything since the abuse," police said, but came forward after seeing a video at school about sexual molesters.
Sims was released March 30 after posting a $75,000 bond.
Authorities are asking any family with a similar experience to contact the police department's Crimes Against Children Unit at 410-853-3650.