Charges Upgraded For Union Beach Coach Accused Of Molesting Minors

UNION BEACH, NJ — A Monmouth County grand jury has now returned a 30-count indictment against a youth soccer coach accused of molesting underage minors.

The coach is Ryan Gunsauls, 32, who lives in Union Beach. He is also a volunteer firefighter in Union Beach, and he used to work as a Union Beach Police dispatcher.

Gunsauls coached for the Union Beach Soccer Association, a youth soccer league for boys.

On Tuesday, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago announced the charges against him were upgraded (one of the new charges is that he is accused of exchanging sexual photos with a ninth minor):

Gunsauls is now charged with eight counts of first- and second-degree child endangerment by manufacturing child sex abuse material, eight counts of second-degree endangering via sexual conduct, nine counts of third-degree distributing obscene materials to a minor, two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, as well as additional charges.

The investigation into Gunsauls started in May, when an underage minor reported to Union Beach Police that Gunsauls had been soliciting and distributing sexual photos with him via a social media app. Prosecutors say Gunsauls texted underage boys photos of his genitalia, and asked the boys to send him photos in return. He would also forward those photos he received to other boys on the team.

As the investigation continued, eight additional victims, ranging in age from 11 to 17, were identified and contacted for interviews.

The alleged sex abuse took place over the past three years, Patch previously reported.

Gunsauls was arrested without incident in May and he has been held in the Monmouth County Jail ever since, as the case against him proceeds.

When Gunsauls was first arrested in May, he admitted in court that he picked up two of the minors and drove them to a ball field in Union Beach, where he would molest them in his car, the Asbury Park Press reported.

Anyone with more information about Gunsauls’s activities is being urged to contact MCPO Detective Joseph Mason at 800-533-7443.

Initial Patch report on Gunsauls: Union Beach Youth Soccer Coach Accused Of Sex Crimes Against 8 Kids (May 15)

New Details In Union Beach Soccer Coach Accused Of Molesting Players (May 22)