CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — Federal agents are investigating a Clay County softball coach. The U.S. States Attorney indicted Andrew Lynn Overheul on six counts of producing and attempting to produce child sexual abuse files.
A father of one of the alleged victims spoke with Action News Jax saying these files are extremely devastating for everyone—especially those affected.
“It was definitely a nightmare,” the dad said.
This dad asked to remain anonymous to not further victimize any other kids that may be involved.
The father says Andrew Overheul hosted a team bonding party at his house in Orange Park, last September.
“Then they were asked if the kids could take showers over there and if the kids are dirty, no parents think anything of it,” the dad said. “Just sure.”
But that’s when one of the girls says she noticed something was off.
“There was a video camera set up, and the red light triggered that,” the dad said.
He says it was a cellphone.
“It was as if he was playing music,” the dad said.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office was alerted, and then the Department of Homeland Security got involved.
According to the Grand Jury indictment, Overheul is charged with six counts of attempting to produce or engage in sexually explicit conduct of minors dating back to August 2016. Four victims were affected. Video and images of two victims from the event in September were quoted as “mailed, shipped and transported in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce.’
The dad said he is gravely upset about his child’s innocence being taken away from her.
“It’s very valuable and it should be protected,” the dad said. “And that’s what hurts the most knowing that it was compromised by some disgusting human being.”
Federal agents spoke with him and his daughter in November of last year, including about an hour-and-a-half of questioning.
“It was tough, the whole time she cried,” the dad said choking up. “It was a very difficult time for sure, seeing the hurt in her.”
When I spoke with a board member of the softball league, they said they do background checks on every coach, and Overheul’s came back clean.
“Something did seem off,” the dad said. “I just thought he was a goofball. But it turns out he was more than a goofball. But nothing stuck out to this degree for sure.”
Overheul has three kids of his own. When I went to his house to try and speak to family members, no one answered the door. Neighbors I spoke with say they didn’t suspect anything. Many of them said Overheul’s family seemed normal.
Overheul has pleaded not guilty. The indictment also notifies Overheul that the United States intends to forfeit electronic devices used in the commission of the charged offenses. He has been ordered detained pending a trial scheduled for the June 2023 trial term.
The DOJ update can be located HERE.
Overheul Indictment by ActionNewsJax on Scribd
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