Plano: He's accused of molesting two elementary-age girls

12:00 AM CST on Thursday, March 16, 2006

By JENNIFER EMILY / The Dallas Morning News

PLANO – Plano police are investigating a 64-year-old youth soccer coach they believe molested at least two elementary school-age girls, police said Wednesday. Investigators are also looking into other allegations.

Dennis Drummond was arrested and charged with two counts of indecency with a child by contact. Two girls – one in kindergarten and another in fourth grade – made separate allegations against Mr. Drummond, said Officer Carl Duke, a Plano police spokesman.

Police are worried there could be other victims.

"[Mr.] Drummond has been in a position of contact with juveniles for a long period of time; we encourage parents who have had children on any of his teams take the time to talk to their children about any inappropriate contact," Officer Duke said.

Mr. Drummond declined to be interviewed from the Collin County Jail, where he is being held in lieu of $30,000 bail.

No other criminal record was found.

During the three years Mr. Drummond coached in the Plano Youth Soccer Association, a few parents anonymously called the group to say the coach was "too friendly with the girls," said George Ostrander, who founded the group in 1976.

"But nothing like this," he said.

Mr. Ostrander said callers were urged to come forward, but they never did.

He said several parents have recently told him that girls on Mr. Drummond's team have spent the night at his Plano house. Mr. Ostrander said he suggests that parents never leave their children anywhere alone with a coach.

The girls were interviewed separately at the Collin County Children's Advocacy Center.

The younger girl said that Mr. Drummond made her touch him inappropriately over his clothes after soccer practice at his house, according to a probable cause affidavit.

The incident happened Jan. 28 while she was sitting on Mr. Drummond's couch waiting for her mother to pick her up. The other teammates had left.

The older girl said Mr. Drummond touched her inappropriately over her bathing suit while she was swimming at his house last summer, another probable cause affidavit said. At least one other girl, age 10, was also swimming at the house.

"It breaks my heart," Mr. Ostrander said, his eyes watery and red as he stood outside the Plano Police Department. "It almost brings me to tears."

Mr. Ostrander said he gave police the rosters of the five teams Mr. Drummond has coached after police called about the investigation a couple of weeks ago.

Mr. Ostrander said that looking back, he believes it was odd that Mr. Drummond only coached girls' teams. Mr. Ostrander said coaching applicants are subject to a criminal background check conducted by a private agency. Mr. Drummond passed, he said.

Mr. Drummond left the Plano Youth Soccer Association in November because of a spat over scheduling.

He applied to coach with Plano Sports Authority but resigned before he ever coached a game, said Mike Kramer, director of the sports authority.

Mr. Kramer said he did not know why Mr. Drummond left. Officer Duke said Mr. Drummond resigned when he found out police were investigating him.

Mr. Ostrander said he did not know whether Mr. Drummond had a relative who played on one of the soccer teams. Many coaches, like Mr. Ostrander, coach their children. Others do not have kids on a team.

The charges came as a surprise to those who know Mr. Drummond.

Kim Werden, another youth soccer coach, said Wednesday that she enjoyed working with Mr. Drummond when their teams faced off on the soccer field in recent years and was surprised to hear about the charges.

She said Mr. Drummond took charge of organizing some of the soccer teams before he decided to take his teams to a new league this year.

"I was sorry to see him go," Ms. Werden said. "He was very involved with the soccer and a really nice guy."

Rick Hodges, 50, who has lived across the street from Mr. Drummond for eight years, said there were always children at Mr. Drummond's house. He said Mr. Drummond would hug the children whenever he saw them. He called Mr. Drummond the kind of person the community needs more of.

Mr. Drummond's wife, Barbara, died of cancer in 2000, Mr. Hodges said.

"If you meet the man, he is guileless, without pretense. He just hugs them out of a very honest place in his heart," he said.

Indecency with a child by contact is a second-degree felony, punishable by two to 20 years in prison.

Police ask that anyone with information about Mr. Drummond that may assist the investigation call the Plano Police Department tip line at 972-941-2148.

Staff writers Karen Ayres and Lee Powell contributed to this report.

E-mail jemily@dallasnews.com