The families of children who participate in Maple Valley Pony Baseball and Fastpitch were issued a letter last week after new charges of child rape were filed against a man who had been a former coach with the association.
David Engle, who was heavily involved in youth baseball in the area - he was also a member of the Mount Rainier Baseball Association - was arrested Nov. 6 on charges of possession of child pornography, but he now faces additional charges of child rape after federal investigators reportedly uncovered further footage depicting Engle engaging in sexually explicit conduct with a boy described in charging papers as between 8 to 14 years old.
KOMO News reports King County prosecutors last week charged Engle with three counts of child rape upon the discovery of the new footage; he has pleaded not guilty to the charges of child pornography possession.
According to information available on the Internet, Engle was listed as the District 4 Commissioner for the Southern Washington Babe Ruth Leagues, which represents Pierce County (except Gig Harbor) and the Enumclaw School District, among others. He was also the coach for the Mid-Sound Pilots Select Bronco baseball team for 11- and 12-year-olds, the president for Maple Valley Pony Baseball and Fast Pitch, and the Assistant to the Mount Rainier Baseball Association’s Vice President of Babe Ruth Leagues. Engle also appears to be associated with a business named “5 Star Baseball and Softball," according to the U.S. State Attorney's office.
Engle came to the attention of law enforcement following the investigation of an international movie production company that operated a website offering DVDs and streaming videos for sale. The materials depicted young boys in sexually explicit activity.
Between 2005 and 2011, investigators allege Engle purchased 78 different items from the website, spending nearly $3,000. Agents with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service executed a search warrant at Engle’s home today.
The international movie production company was put out of business in May 2011, when agents seized its inventory and records. The company and the owners of the company are being prosecuted for child exploitation offenses, including the production and distribution of child pornography.
Maple Valley Pony Association President Kathi Turner told Q13 Fox last week that up until last month, Engle was still coaching dozens of children for the association.
In the letter to association parents, Turner describes the delicate nature of the investigation in terms of speaking to children about what may or may not have occurred in their contact with Engle. Parents should make use of the King County Sexual Assault Center at 425-226-5062 or its 24-hour resource line at 1-888-99-VOICE for assistance in determining how to approach your child(ren) about this issue or to arrange for an interview, she said.
Engle remains in federal custody.
