Assistant football coach at Long Beach schools arrested for alleged sex-related offenses

A man who worked as an assistant coach and substitute teacher over the past school year with the Long Beach Unified School District was arrested over the weekend on suspicion of contacting a minor for a sexual offense, authorities said Monday, Aug. 14.

David Vernon Price Jr., 28, of Carson, was taken into custody Saturday on suspicion of contact with a minor for sexual misconduct, distribution or showing pornography to a minor and possession of child pornography, Los Angeles police said.

He was released from custody on $45,000 bail, police said.

Price worked as an assistant football coach at Long Beach Poly High School starting in August 2022 and worked as a substitute at Long Beach Poly and Hoover Middle School from December 2022 to June 2023, but the school district immediately removed Price from both positions after they were notified of his arrest, district spokeswoman Evelyn Somoza said.

“The Long Beach Unified School District takes seriously any allegations of inappropriate conduct with minors and cooperates with law enforcement on such investigations,” the district said in a statement. “The safety and well-being of our students is always our primary concern.”

Los Angeles police said Price was also known to work at schools in the Los Angeles area, but a Los Angeles Unified School District spokeswoman said the district had no record of Price working at any of its schools.

Los Angeles investigators identified one minor victim in Los Angeles, police said. Detectives believe there may have been additional victims and were seeking the public’s help. Price was believed to target girls, police said.

Anyone with information was asked to call LAPD’s Juvenile Division’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit at 562-624-4027. Anonymous tips can be made by calling L.A. Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.