BOSTON, July 16, 2012—A youth baseball coach was held on high bail today after his arraignment on charges that he had improper contact with a young player, and prosecutors say other children have made similar allegations against him, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

JOSE ORTEGA (D.O.B. 7/4/71) of Roslindale, who goes by the nickname “Brujo,” was arrested last night and formally charged this afternoon with four counts of enticement of a child under 16, one count of unnatural and lascivious acts with a child under 16, and one count of attempting to commit a crime – specifically, posing a child under 18 in a state of nudity.

Assistant District Attorney Laura Montgomery of Conley’s Child Protection Unit recommended that he be held on $100,000 cash bail, that he be ordered to have no contact or employment that would put him in contact with children under 18, that he wear a GPS monitoring device if he posts bail, and that he surrender his passport while the case is pending.

West Roxbury District Court Judge Ernest Sarason set bail at $50,000 cash and imposed all the recommended terms.

Montgomery told the court that the victim, whom prosecutors are identifying only as a boy under 16, first met Ortega earlier this year and that Ortega invited him to join Ortega’s baseball team, the Boston Broncos. Ortega allegedly said he had connections with major league baseball teams.

Over the weeks and months that followed, Montgomery said, Ortega allegedly began “grooming” the boy in phone conversations, in Facebook messages, and in person. He allegedly asked the boy to enter his van to engage in sexual activity, to come over and shower at Ortega’s house, and to take sexualized photos of himself to send to Ortega.

The case first came to light when a relative of the boy observed inappropriate messages on the boy’s Facebook account.

“Cases like this one are very disturbing to me, both as DA and as a father,” Conley said. “This is something we always tell parents and caregivers of younger teens, but it bears repeating now more than ever: make it clear that your kids can come to you with their problems and fears, and make sure they know that no one who really cares for them would want them to keep a secret from you. It’s critically important for children to know that they won’t get in trouble for telling parents about something that makes them uncomfortable. And remember, no matter how bright, mature, or responsible they might be for their age, they’re still kids. It’s up to you to use your authority appropriately and keep an eye on their activity online.  Don’t be afraid to set limits and terms for using computers, cell phones, gaming consoles, and other devices safely.”

Montgomery told the court that Boston Police detectives assigned to the Crimes Against Children Unit, who arrested Ortega last night, and Suffolk prosecutors are reviewing other, similar allegations that have come to light in recent days. Those cases have not been charged at this time.

Edelaide Barros is the DA’s assigned victim-witness advocate. Ortega is represented by attorney William Lane. He will return to court on Aug. 10.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.