28-04-2025
Lubbock boxing coach charged with online solicitation of a minor requests lower bond
A 33-year-old boxing coach accused of sending sexually explicit messages to a 13-year-old girl he taught has requested his $150,000 bond be reduced after he was indicted last week by a Lubbock County grand jury.
Robert Quezada is charged with a second-degree felony count of online solicitation of a minor younger than 14, a second-degree felony that carries a punishmet of two to 20 years in prison.
Quezada has been held at the Lubbock County Detention Center since his March 20 arrest. His bond is set at $150,000.
His charge stems from a Lubbock police investigation that began on Nov. 16, when the girl's mother called police to report inappropriate messages Quezada, a coach at the Lubbock Boxing Club, sent her daughter through Facebook.
The responding officer who read the messages said he saw "multiple inappropriate conversations of a sexual nature between (Quezada) and (the girl)," according to a police report.
The girl also sent Quezada an intimate picture of herself, the report states.
Quezada reportedly responded with more explicit sexual messages including graphic descriptions of sexual acts he wanted to do to her, the report states.
A warrant for Quezada's arrest was issued on March 20 and he was arrested the same day near the intersection of 19th street and Slide Road.
On Friday, Quezada appeared in the 140th District Court for a hearing on his motion for a reduced bond.
His attorney, Alex Nunez, told the court that the $150,000 bond on Quezada's case was excessive based on the level of the offense.
He said a bond of $50,000 and any conditions the court imposes would ensure appearance in court and the safety of the community.
Quezada's mother told the court that her family did not have the resources to pay for the bond amount set for her son, who also worked at Dollar General before his arrest.
She told the court that if Quezada were released on bond, he would comply with any order of the court, including prohibitions from being around children.
She said her son had been arrested in the past for misdemeanor charges and made every court appearance in his cases.
Nunez also submitted to the court letters of support from family friends.
Meanwhile, prosecutor Laura Beth Fossett aruged that the $150,000 bond was an "adequate and necessary" bond amount to ensure the safety of the community.
She said no condition the court could set could completely prevent Quezada from going online to contact children.
She told the court that Quezada's family would be unable to guarantee that he wouldn't contact children online.
Fosssett said one of the character letters Quezada's defense attorney gave the court included one from a teacher who said she'd never known Quezada to be in an inappropriate relationship or seek out young girls.
However, Fossett presented the court with a flash drive that contained Quezada's messages with the girl that she said disproved that statement.
"This is a real teenager who was taking boxing classes from this coach," she said. "He friended her on Facebook and had an entire conversation of a very sexual nature online with a 13-year-old girl."
140th District Judge Douglas Freitag said he would issue a ruling on Quezada's request at a later date.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbock boxing coach charged with online solicitation of a minor
