A 21-year-old former water polo coach for the Redlands Unified School District in Southern California was arrested April 29, accused of multiple sexual offenses against a 15-year-old student he first met at a high school athletic event.
Luke Anthony Quintana faces charges of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, sexual penetration with a foreign object, and oral copulation with a minor, according to a Redlands police news release. Officers pulled him over during a traffic stop in Redlands and took him into custody that same day.
The girl told police she first encountered Quintana in October 2025 at a water polo match at Citrus Valley High School, where he was working as a coach. The two later began communicating through a social media application, and in February 2026 they met off campus, at which point the alleged sexual encounter occurred. The girl reported the situation to police in March 2026, prompting a Special Victims Unit detective to open a formal investigation.
District officials confirmed Quintana served as an assistant coach during the 2024-25 school year and as an unpaid volunteer during the 2025-26 school year. Administrators met with the student and her parent after learning of a police report filed March 24, and subsequently notified law enforcement. Superintendent Juan Cabral said the district is deeply concerned and committed to fully cooperating with investigators. Counseling services will be made available to affected students.
The case highlights how coach and volunteer roles can provide access to minors outside formal school channels. Under South Carolina law, SC Code Section 63-7-310 mandates that any school employee or volunteer who suspects child abuse must report it immediately to the Department of Social Services or law enforcement. State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver has emphasized strengthening background-check protocols for school volunteers as a priority for the SC Department of Education. Spartanburg County District 7 maintains a Title IX coordinator policy that exemplifies the local accountability structures state officials say are critical to intercepting misconduct before it escalates.
