Moraga tennis coach, 64, arrested on suspicion of abusing a girl

MORAGA – A local tennis coach has been arrested on suspicion of sexually abusing a teenage girl he met on the court, court records show.

Michael Roy Howard, 64, was arrested on suspicion of four counts related to sexual abuse of a minor and meeting a minor for lewd intent, all felonies. He is being held in lieu of $325,000 bail but has not yet been charged. Unless prosecutors file charges Friday afternoon, he will be released from jail, authorities said.

Howard, who has addresses in San Francisco and Moraga, reportedly met the girl last year while teaching classes in Contra Costa County. The girl later told authorities that Howard was coaching young children at a local court when their paths crossed, but that he took an interest in her and began driving her home after tennis practices.

As they got to know each other, Howard began commenting on the girl’s appearance, telling her things like, “You’d be my perfect wife if only you were older and could cook,” and that he didn’t believe authorities had she ‘mentally’ a high school student.

Howard also gave the girl a free tennis lesson, took her out to lunch and touched her inappropriately during that encounter, authorities said. The sexual abuse allegedly occurred after he convinced her to accompany him to his home in Moraga last June.

The girl told authorities that she was scared when Howard began kissing and touching her “aggressively,” but that she was afraid to leave. After the first act of sexual abuse, he tried to convince her to meet him at a hotel in the future, but she refused, authorities said.

Howard was arrested in Danville on Wednesday and reportedly made a statement to police, but authorities have not released the details. Police say they are also investigating a statement from the girl that Howard sent her a photo of his genitals and that he made a comment about filming the sexual abuse at his home after the incident.

Authorities say Howard taught children in the Bay Area, not just Contra Costa, and the case remains under investigation.

Originally published: November 14, 2024 at 4:37 PM PST