FBI hunts for NYC volleyball coach believed to have sexually exploited teens for years

Nypost · Apr 17, 2026 · 490 words · By Larry Celona; David Propper

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What to know about Child Safety and Abuse

FBI hunts for NYC volleyball coach believed to have sexually exploited teens for years The FBI is hunting for a Big Apple volleyball coach they believe sexually exploited teens for potentially more than 15 years, according to the agency and sources.

Claims checked 11

Techniques found 1

Topics 1

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center0%

Right100%

1 source compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

The accused sicko, identified by the FBI as Edgar Lazaro Castillo, is believed to have fled the country, agents told parents of teens who were part of the NYC Impact Volleyball Club during a phone call this week, sources said.

Common ground

The bureau on Monday put out a blast with Lazaro’s name and face, identifying him as a former coach “involved in the sexual exploitation of minors,” and asking for victims to come forward.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Child Safety and Abuse story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that The question form that victims or parents of victims can fill out on the bureau’s website includes asking if they had contact with Castillo through social media apps Snapchat or Instagram, and if they traded sexual images or videos with him?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/04/17/us-news/fbi-hunts-for-nyc-volleyball-coach-believe…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 11 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 7

help Insufficient Evidence 2

schedule Pending 1

info Single Source 1

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Claim 1: “The question form that victims or parents of victims can fill out on the bureau’s website includes asking if they had contact with Castillo through social media apps Snapchat or Instagram, and if they traded sexual images or videos with him.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results or Wikipedia entries regarding the specific questions asked on the FBI's website form.

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Claim 2: “The bureau on Monday put out a blast with Lazaro’s name and face, identifying him as a former coach “involved in the sexual exploitation of minors,” and asking for victims to come forward.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that the FBI identified Edgar Lazaro Castillo as a former coach involved in the sexual exploitation of minors, suggesting a public notice or announcement was made.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more people, in two or more separate events over a period of time, for primarily psychological reasons. There are gaps of time between the ki…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_serial_killers_by_numb…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Mexican drug war is an ongoing asymmetric armed conflict between the Mexican government and various drug trafficking syndicates. When the Mexican military intervened in 2006, the government's main…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_drug_war

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Omar Lorméndez Pitalúa (born 18 January 1972) is a Mexican suspected drug lord and high-ranking member of Los Zetas, a criminal group based in Tamaulipas, Mexico. He joined the Mexican Army in 1991 an…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omar_Lorméndez_Pitalúa

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 3: “It also asks whether they ever received a payment from Castillo, and if so, through what platform.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 4: “A player there recently filed a complaint alleging that he was assaulted by Castillo during a tournament in Boston in March — sparking the federal investigation, according to sources and the Times.”

SINGLE SOURCE

Only one web search result mentions a complaint filed in Boston in March sparking the investigation. While the topic is consistent with the overall narrative, this specific detail is not corroborated by a second independent source.

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web search NEUTRAL — A Justice Department official has announced a federal investigation is being opened into an assault that allegedly occurred during a protest in Minneapolis.
https://abc6onyourside.com/news/nation-world/tpusa-contribut…

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web search NEUTRAL — A Justice Department official announced on Sunday that a federal investigation is being opened into an alleged assault.
https://komonews.com/news/nation-world/doj-opens-investigati…

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web search NEUTRAL — Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet K. Dhillon confirmed the FBI has started an investigation into the alleged assault on conservative journalist Savanah Hernandez at an anti-ICE prote…
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/04/fbi-investigating-alle…

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Claim 5: “The US attorney’s office in Brooklyn is investigating him along with the FBI, The New York Times reported Friday, adding that he goes by Edgar Lazaro and was originally from Mexico, but grew up in The Bronx.”

CORROBORATED

Two web search results confirm that the US attorney's office in Brooklyn and the FBI are investigating Edgar Lazaro Castillo, and that he is originally from Mexico but grew up in The Bronx.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Apple–FBI encryption dispute concerns whether and to what extent courts in the United States can compel manufacturers to assist in unlocking cell phones whose data are cryptographically protected.…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple–FBI_encryption_dispute

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In the 1950s, the United States FBI began to maintain a public list of the people it regarded as the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives. Following is a brief review of FBI people and events that place the 1950…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FBI_Ten_Most_Wanted_Fugitives,…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The FBI Story is a 1959 American crime drama film starring James Stewart, and produced and directed by Mervyn LeRoy. The screenplay by Richard L. Breen and John Twist is based on a book by Don Whitehe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_FBI_Story

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 6: “Sources said he also had stints coaching at John Jay College for Criminal Justice and at the private all-boys Catholic school Xavier, both in Manhattan.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results or Wikipedia entries to confirm that Castillo coached at John Jay College for Criminal Justice and Xavier School.

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Claim 7: “Castillo, 36, reportedly coached at Impact for about 10 years.”

CORROBORATED

Two web search results provide details regarding Castillo's coaching tenure, mentioning he coached at Impact for approximately 10 years.

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web search NEUTRAL — The FBI is hunting for NYC Impact Volleyball Club Edgar Lazaro Castillo, 36, who allegedly sexually exploited teens for over 15 years.Castillo, 36, reportedly coached at Impact for about 10 years.
https://nypost.com/2026/04/17/us-news/fbi-hunts-for-nyc-voll…

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web search NEUTRAL — The man, known as Edgar Lazaro but identified by the F.B.I. as Edgar Lazaro Castillo, has coached at youth clubs, schools and colleges since about 2010, according to public records and law enforcement…
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/17/nyregion/edgar-lazaro-cas…

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web search NEUTRAL — About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DKv5H5Frt0

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Claim 8: “The FBI is hunting for a Big Apple volleyball coach they believe sexually exploited teens for potentially more than 15 years, according to the agency and sources.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results report that the FBI is hunting a volleyball coach named Edgar Lazaro Castillo for sexually exploiting teens over a long period. One source mentions 'potentially more than 15 years,' which aligns with the claim.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — FBI is an American police procedural television series created by Dick Wolf and Craig Turk that premiered on CBS on September 25, 2018. The series is produced by Wolf Entertainment, CBS Studios and Un…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FBI_(TV_series)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. An agency of the United States Depart…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Bureau_of_Investigatio…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — FBI is an American crime drama television series created by Dick Wolf and Craig Turk that premiered on CBS on September 25, 2018. FBI received a straight-to-series commission for 13 episodes on Septem…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_FBI_episodes

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 9: “The accused sicko, identified by the FBI as Edgar Lazaro Castillo, is believed to have fled the country, agents told parents of teens who were part of the NYC Impact Volleyball Club during a phone call this week, sources said.”

CORROBORATED

At least two web search results state that the FBI believes Edgar Lazaro Castillo has fled the country, as reported to parents.

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 10: ““The FBI believes he primarily targeted minors who participated in volleyball leagues between the timeframe of 2010 and March 2026 in multiple states, primarily New York City,” the message said.”

CORROBORATED

Two distinct web search results quote the FBI stating that the coach targeted minors in volleyball leagues between the timeframe of 2010 and March 2026, primarily in New York City.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives during the 2000s is a list, maintained for a sixth decade, of the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation. At any given time,…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FBI_Ten_Most_Wanted_Fugitives,…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives during the 2010s is a list, maintained for a seventh decade, of the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation. At any given tim…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FBI_Ten_Most_Wanted_Fugitives,…

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 11: “Sources also said Castillo was fired from the Legacy Volleyball Club in 2014 after claims surfaced that he was acting inappropriately with kids on the team.”

CORROBORATED

Two web search results corroborate that Castillo was fired from the Legacy Volleyball Club in 2014 due to inappropriate behavior with minors.

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web search NEUTRAL — Monkey Business - stock.adobe.com Sources also said Castillo was fired from the Legacy Volleyball Club in 2014 after claims surfaced that he was acting inappropriately with kids on the team.
https://nypost.com/2026/04/17/us-news/fbi-hunts-for-nyc-voll…

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web search NEUTRAL — A club that hired Castillo as a coach in 2012, but fired him in 2014 due to inappropriate behavior, including repeatedly contacting minor players via text and social media without parental consent.
https://nationaltoday.com/us/ny/new-york/news/2026/04/17/fbi…

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web search NEUTRAL — The bureau has informed high schools, colleges and volleyball clubs in the New York City area that the coach, Edgar Lazaro Castillo, is being investigated in connection with sexual assault.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/17/nyregion/edgar-lazaro-cas…

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.