Popular High School Basketball Coach Allegedly Raped Two Students; 'I'm Probably Going To Hell'

A popular high school basketball coach in New Mexico has been accused of raping two underage female students.

Dominick Baca, 29, an assistant coach at Pecos High School, was arrested Tuesday and charged with three counts of criminal sexual penetration of a minor and two counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported.

Baca allegedly engaged in sex acts with a 14-year-old girl in Febuary 2017, and a 17-year-old from February and March this year, in his school office and his home. He also sent lewd photos of himself to the students, police said.

He's a successful coach at the school, helping to guide the Pecos Panthers to two championships. He's also a coordinator for a program called GEAR-UP, which is designed to increase the number of graduates who attend college.

That's how Baca met the 14-year-old, police said. The girl was interviewed earlier in the year but she denied anything happened between her and Baca. 

She did, however, talk to an investigator on March 30 after hearing about Baca's relationship with another student, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported, citing Baca's arrest affidavit.

Baca asked the 14-year-old to meet him after homecoming in 2017. She met him in his car outside her house, the warrant said, and he asked her to have sex with him. She refused, so he coerced her into performing oral sex on him, police said. 

Two weeks later, he brought her to his house and they had sex in his bedroom, the warrant said. He told her he was "probably going to hell" for doing it.

After sex, the warrant said Baca went through her phone to make sure she didn't record them, text anyone or take any pictures. He dropped her off nearby and never talked to her again.

While they were investigating what Baca did with the 14-year-old, police learned about the 17-year-old, according to the Albuquerque Journal. The 17-year-old told investigators that Baca sent her nude pics of himself and asked her for nudes back. He sent her Snapchat messages calling her to his office in mid-February and “Baca stepped out of his office, looked around for anyone in the hallway, and walked back into his office,” the affidavit said, according to the Albuquerque Journal.

Then, he allegedly started kissing and groping the girl - lifting her onto his desk - before she pushed him off and left the room.

Later that month, he called her to his office and after checking the hallway again, kissed and groped her some more, the affidavit said, this time grabbing her breast over her clothes.

 She stopped him and left. She told investigators she had sex with Baca at his house in March, according to the affidavit.

Police arrested Baca at his house. He was jailed at the San Miguel County Detention Center in Las Vegas, N.M., the Santa Fe New Mexican said.