A HIV-positive former sports coach has been charged with sexually abusing 42 children, prosecutors said.
Carlos Deangelo Bell, from Maryland, pled guilty to 27 counts, including sexual abuse of a minor, child pornography charges and attempted transmission of HIV, state attorney for Charles County Tony Covington said.
Bell allegedly carried out the offences between May 2015 to June 2017, and victims were aged between 11 and 17-years-old, the court heard.
Of the 42 victims, officials said just 28 have been identified. Police said he sexually assaulted the students without using protection, according to Fox5, but investigators were not aware of any victim having tested positive for HIV.
“You really can't imagine what had to be gone through when investigating this case,” said Mr Covington, CNN reported, referring to the hours of video that “nobody ever wants to see.”
The 30-year-old was originally facing 206 counts but after entering into a plea deal with prosecutors, will only be charged for 27.
One of the goals of the plea deal was to prevent the young victims from having to testify in court, prosecutors said.
He is due to be sentenced on 28 March and prosecutors have recommended he receive 190 years in prison for his alleged crimes.
“Based upon the evidence that the state presented it was in his best interest to enter into this negotiated guilty plea,” defence attorney James Crawford said.
Bell was arrested on 30 June 2017 for allegedly sexually assaulting at least seven boys, police said at the time.
He had been an education assistant at a Waldorf middle school and a sports coach at a La Plata high school when he was arrested.
