A former Springfield police officer who volunteered as an assistant wrestling coach at Somers High School has pleaded guilty to enticing a 15-year-old student he coached, admitting in court Monday that he used his access to the team to pursue the teenager. Justin Perez, 28, of Springfield, entered guilty pleas to one count of risk of injury to a minor and one count of enticing a minor, bringing a two-year case to a plea deal.
Perez previously served as an officer with the Springfield Police Department and began volunteering as an assistant wrestling coach at Somers High School in December 2023, according to WTNH. Investigators with the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice said Perez obtained the 15-year-old victim's personal cellphone number through team messaging apps and began privately messaging the teen outside of team activities.
Messages Escalated From Banter to Sexual Comments
What started as what investigators described as friendly banter allegedly turned into increasingly sexual comments and offers to “link up” outside of school, per the station's reporting. Perez allegedly sent the victim nude photos and videos of himself, including footage taken in the shower, according to the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice.
Investigators also said Perez groped the victim and, on at least one occasion, asked the teen for oral sex. The same account states he touched the victim inappropriately during individual sparring sessions while making lewd comments. A forensic download of Perez's cellphone later turned up text messages, photographs and video evidence that investigators said was consistent with the victim's account.
Student Quit the Team and Alerted Coaches
The victim eventually quit the wrestling team and notified the team's head coach of the alleged conduct. That disclosure set the case in motion: the head coach then notified state police, opening a formal investigation in October 2024 after the student came forward, according to CT Insider. The same investigation later uncovered evidence on the victim's phone corroborating the reported messages.
Perez was arrested in Connecticut on April 1, 2025, after officers located him in Enfield and conducted a traffic stop tied to an active warrant, WWLP reported. Following his arrest, the Springfield Police Department assigned Perez to administrative duties without a firearm and suspended him for five days pending the investigation, the outlet noted.
Sentencing Set for January
The arrest capped an investigation that, per Western Mass News, dated back to October 2024. Perez's guilty plea Monday, first reported by Western Mass News, closes out the criminal case ahead of his sentencing, which is scheduled for January 2027. The exact sentence Perez will face has not been disclosed.
