The sister of Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones is speaking out, saying her daughter’s cheer gym, Texas Bandits All-Stars, failed to protect its athletes after a coach was arrested for secretly recording inside the gym’s bathroom.
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For Chelsirae Walker, the story is deeply personal, and she says it’s time for accountability.
I cannot be quiet,” Walker told KFOX14. “The children don’t have a voice to speak up for themselves. In my everyday work, I’m an advocate for these kids.”The Trust Was Shattered”
Walker says she enrolled her daughter at the East El Paso gym three years ago, drawn in by promises of teamwork, discipline, and safety.
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But she says her trust was shattered after 28-year-old coach Christopher Sotelo was arrested in August, accused of placing hidden cameras inside the gym’s bathrooms. Police say the recordings included minors, and investigators believe there could be more than 100 victims.
Walker recalls her first red flags appeared long before the arrest.
“There’s no cameras, we can view nothing,” she said. “My first red flag was when I took my daughter to privates and there was no one at the gym but this individual, and I still couldn’t go in and watch.”
Walker says Parents Were Kept in the Dark
Walker told KFOX14 she later learned that the gym’s owners discovered recording devices days before parents were informed.
They found out August 23rd,” Walker said. “My daughter went to practice that Sunday, that Monday, that Wednesday They knew all this was going on. We knew nothing.
Walker says she didn’t learn about the investigation until a week later, on her wedding day, August 30th, when a friend in law enforcement reached out.
“It makes me feel angry,” she said. “It makes me feel like your brand was bigger than the safety of my child.”
She says questions still remain.What about the old gym? How far are these videos going back? Why is no one talking about that? Walker said. “If someone’s cleaning this bathroom every day, why didn’t you see this? Why did you take payments from parents on that Friday if you knew what was going on?“It Was About Image, Not Accountability”
Walker says a meeting held by the gym on September 2nd did little to reassure families.
The owners get up and say, ‘I’m a victim, I’m not gonna take any disrespect,’” she recalled. “This meeting got ugly You don’t care about my child, you care about how you look to the news.Aaron Jones: “It Hits Home”
During our interview, Walker put us on the phone with her brother, NFL star Aaron Jones, who says the case hits close to home.
“It hits home,” Jones said. “If we’re not able to go in there and protect our kids, we’re putting that responsibility on you — and that falls back on who you hire.
Jones posted about the case on Instagram, calling for transparency and urging parents to “keep an eye on your kids.”
He says instead of accountability, he received backlash.
“They said I was attacking them but all I did was ask for accountability,” Jones said.
In messages obtained by KFOX14, the gym accused Jones of “bashing their program,” writing, “Where was that energy the last four years your niece was a part of our program?”
Jones said the response showed him where the owners’ priorities were.
There’s no respect, no accountability. To me, it showed their true colors,” he said. “The girls aren’t really their focus. It’s how much money can I bring into this program to benefit me and my family.
“It’s not about protecting your name,” he added. “It’s about addressing the parents and saying, ‘Hey, this went on’ — not waiting a week or letting people find out from FitFam.”
Gym Responds to KFOX14
In a statement to KFOX14, Texas Bandits All-Stars said they are “not granting interviews regarding the Christopher Sotelo incident.”
The statement added that Sotelo has not been affiliated with the gym since his termination and that the gym “promptly reported the matter to authorities and has fully cooperated with law enforcement throughout the investigation.”
They also said, “The safety and well-being of our athletes and families remain our highest priority.”
In a final message to Jones on Instagram, the gym thanked him for “loving the city” and said they “did the right thing.”
“They Deserve Better”
Walker says that’s not enough. She says she’s speaking up for her daughter, and for the families who are still afraid to.
It may not be directly their fault,” she said, “but when you’re in an environment like that, your job is to keep our children safe, and you did not.
“I’m thinking of my child, and those little girls who can’t speak up because their parents are afraid to,” Walker added. “I’m gonna speak up for them too. They deserve better.”
The Ongoing Investigation
The case against Christopher Sotelo remains ongoing. He is currently out on bond, and El Paso Police confirm additional charges are possible as investigators review hundreds of videos.
Following the investigation, Walker says her daughter has left the team and joined a new program, a decision she made after losing trust in the gym’s leadership and what she calls a lack of accountability.
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