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Former soccer coach faces child pornography charges

Howard 'Bud' Harper

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Authorities on Wednesday arrested a 63-year-old former soccer coach in unincorporated Arapahoe County following a months-long investigation into alleged online child pornography trading.

Howard “Bud” Harper was being held on suspicion of 17 counts of sexual exploitation of children, said John Bartmann, a spokesman with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office.

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Authorities began investigating Harper late last year after the Sheriff’s Office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit were notified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about child pornography being traded from an internet protocol address in the county, Bartmann said. 

Investigators began producing records connected with the IP address as soon as they received the tip and located files of underaged children ranging from toddlers to teenagers, Bartmann said.

Harper worked as the age coordinator for “Real Soccer Club” and was formerly a coach.

“Real Colorado is working with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office to support their investigation,” Real Colorado officials wrote in a statement to The Denver Gazette. “Mr. Harper’s arrest was not related to his work and did not involve any players in our program.”

Because Harper has worked with children, investigators believe there may be victims who haven’t come forward. Authorities are asking anyone with information about Harper to call 720-874-8477.

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