Former youth football coach, Anthony Marino, now 70 of Wythenshawe has appeared at Manchester Crown Court, charged with sexual offences against children. He was found guilty and sentenced to five years in custody.
The gross breach of trust involved him befriending the young boys’ parents to gain their trust and grooming the children by using familiar tactics practised by paedophiles such as providing gifts including football kits and other equipment, allowing them to play football computer games at his home and misleading them into believing that invitations to his house were for the purpose of discussing being selected for the team. He would then sexually abuse them.
Marino carried out his vile acts in the 1990s while coaching youngsters for the Wythenshawe youth team in south Manchester.
Some 30 years later, two of his victims, who are both now adults, attended Court to see justice being served. These particular convictions relate to crimes against three boys, all under the age of 16, some of whom were abused on more than one occasion. However, this is not the first time that Marino has been found guilty of child sexual abuse.
His previous convictions date back to 2005 when 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. Furthermore, in 2010, he received a two-year community rehabilitation order for six counts of gross indecency with a child under 16.
Judge Suzanne Goddard QC said that Marino’s behaviour has had a long-lasting and very serious psychological affect on all three of the victims. Here at Farleys we understand that this is an all too prevalent result that survivors of these types of heinous crimes are left to try and deal with.
We continue to receive a large number of enquiries from sexual abuse survivors who contact us seeking help and legal assistance. Our abuse team is experienced in dealing with cases of this nature and we can discuss your claim in the strictest of confidence.
If you or someone you know needs advice on abuse by a football coach or indeed any type of abuse perpetrated by anyone then please feel free to contact me directly at Paul.Corrigan@farleys.com, via telephone on 0330 134 6430 or by completing an enquiry form.
