El Paso cheer coach re-arrested with 5 more charges after hidden camera recording incident<\/a><\/p>\nBut 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\u2019s bathrooms. Police say the recordings included minors, and investigators believe there could be more than 100 victims.<\/p>\n
Walker recalls her first red flags appeared long before the arrest.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no cameras, we can view nothing,\u201d she said. \u201cMy 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\u2019t go in and watch.\u201d<\/p>\n
Walker says Parents Were Kept in the Dark<\/p>\n
Walker told KFOX14 she later learned that the gym\u2019s owners discovered recording devices days before parents were informed.<\/p>\n
They found out August 23rd,\u201d Walker said. \u201cMy daughter went to practice that Sunday, that Monday, that Wednesday They knew all this was going on. We knew nothing.<\/p>\n
Walker says she didn\u2019t learn about the investigation until a week later, on her wedding day, August 30th, when a friend in law enforcement reached out.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt makes me feel angry,\u201d she said. \u201cIt makes me feel like your brand was bigger than the safety of my child.\u201d<\/p>\n
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. \u201cIf someone\u2019s cleaning this bathroom every day, why didn\u2019t you see this? Why did you take payments from parents on that Friday if you knew what was going on?\u201cIt Was About Image, Not Accountability\u201d<\/p>\n
Walker says a meeting held by the gym on September 2nd did little to reassure families.<\/p>\n
The owners get up and say, \u2018I\u2019m a victim, I\u2019m not gonna take any disrespect,\u2019\u201d she recalled. \u201cThis meeting got ugly You don\u2019t care about my child, you care about how you look to the news.Aaron Jones: \u201cIt Hits Home\u201d<\/p>\n
During our interview, Walker put us on the phone with her brother, NFL star Aaron Jones, who says the case hits close to home.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt hits home,\u201d Jones said. \u201cIf we\u2019re not able to go in there and protect our kids, we\u2019re putting that responsibility on you \u2014 and that falls back on who you hire.<\/p>\n
Jones posted about the case on Instagram, calling for transparency and urging parents to \u201ckeep an eye on your kids.\u201d<\/p>\n
He says instead of accountability, he received backlash.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey said I was attacking them but all I did was ask for accountability,\u201d Jones said.<\/p>\n
In messages obtained by KFOX14, the gym accused Jones of \u201cbashing their program,\u201d writing, \u201cWhere was that energy the last four years your niece was a part of our program?\u201d<\/p>\n
Jones said the response showed him where the owners\u2019 priorities were.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no respect, no accountability. To me, it showed their true colors,\u201d he said. \u201cThe girls aren\u2019t really their focus. It\u2019s how much money can I bring into this program to benefit me and my family.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not about protecting your name,\u201d he added. \u201cIt\u2019s about addressing the parents and saying, \u2018Hey, this went on\u2019 \u2014 not waiting a week or letting people find out from FitFam.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gym Responds to KFOX14<\/p>\n
In a statement to KFOX14, Texas Bandits All-Stars said they are \u201cnot granting interviews regarding the Christopher Sotelo incident.\u201d<\/p>\n
The statement added that Sotelo has not been affiliated with the gym since his termination and that the gym \u201cpromptly reported the matter to authorities and has fully cooperated with law enforcement throughout the investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n
They also said, \u201cThe safety and well-being of our athletes and families remain our highest priority.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a final message to Jones on Instagram, the gym thanked him for \u201cloving the city\u201d and said they \u201cdid the right thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey Deserve Better\u201d<\/p>\n
Walker says that\u2019s not enough. She says she\u2019s speaking up for her daughter, and for the families who are still afraid to.<\/p>\n
It may not be directly their fault,\u201d she said, \u201cbut when you\u2019re in an environment like that, your job is to keep our children safe, and you did not.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m thinking of my child, and those little girls who can\u2019t speak up because their parents are afraid to,\u201d Walker added. \u201cI\u2019m gonna speak up for them too. They deserve better.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Ongoing Investigation<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s leadership and what she calls a lack of accountability.<\/p>\n
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