SICK SOCCER COACH ABUSED YOUNG PLAYERS
PAEDOPHILE JAILED DECADES ON
A PAEDOPHILE who used his position as a football coach to groom and sexually abuse young boys has been jailed.
Anthony Marino, now 70, abused his role at a youth team in Wythenshawe in the 1990s. He has now faced justice decades later, and has been locked up for five years.
Marino was in his 40s when he committed the crimes, against three boys all aged under 16.
Manchester Crown Court heard that Marino would use his position as a ruse to invite them round to his home, before sexually abusing them.
He gave one of his victims a piece of football kit after the abuse as a ‘gift,’ the court was told.
One victim attended Marino’s house believing he was going to be invited to join his football team. Marino told the boy he needed to take part in an ‘initiation ceremony’ to test whether he was ‘man enough’ to join the team, prosecutor David Bentley said.
Another boy was invited to Marino’s home and would play the football video game Championship Manager on his computer. The boy suddenly heard the sound of a pornographic film, before Marino went on to sexually abuse him. He says Marino abused him on at least three occasions.
A third victim said Marino abused him three times.
On one occasion, the pervert coach had invited him to his home to give him some ‘football gear,’ Mr Bentley said.
Marino was arrested more recently in relation to the historic case and denied all the allegations put to him in interviews with police.
Two of his victims, now adults, were in court to discover Marino’s fate. Judge Suzanne Goddard QC said that Marino’s behaviour has had a ‘very serious effect’ on all three men. The court heard he has previous convictions for sexually abusing children.
In 2005, he was sentenced to 20 months in prison for three counts of incident assault on a boy under 16, who Marino also coached in a football team. Judge Goddard said it would be ‘inconceivable’ that Marino would receive a similar sentence under current law.
In 2010, Marino received a two-year community rehabilitation order for six counts of gross indecency with a child under 16.
Defending Marino, Simon Mintz described that sentence as ‘surprisingly lenient.’ He accepted the defendant’s crimes were ‘harrowing’ and involved a ‘terrible breach of trust.’
Mr Mintz described Marino as a ‘frail old man’ who has suffered ‘extremely poor health.’ He appealed for the judge to take an ‘exceptional’ view and spare Marino jail, saying he would be vulnerable in prison due to coronavirus.
Jailing Marino, Judge Goddard told him: “You were the adult. You were their football coach, and they and their parents trusted you. You deliberately groomed these youngsters. This truly was, as your counsel said, an abuse of innocence. Your behaviour has caused lasting psychological harm to each of them, and is still having that effect today.”
Marino, of Rowarth Road, Wythenshawe, pleaded guilty to five counts of indecency with a child and one count of indecent assault.
After the hearing, Det Con Andrew Middleton, of GMP’s Major Incident Team, said: “Marino’s behaviour was absolutely despicable but thanks to the victims, partner agencies and our investigation team, Marino has been brought to face justice and is now behind bars.”
This truly was, as your counsel said, an abuse of innocence
Judge Suzanne Goddard QC