Hockey coach arrested for solicitation of a minor

ACUSHNET, Mass. (WPRI) -- A Massachusetts junior hockey coach was has been arrested for soliciting who he believed to be a pair of Florida boys online.

Anthony "Tony" DeSilva, 41, was taken into custody at his Acushnet home Wednesday night on ten counts of using a computer to seduce a child and one count of transmission of material harmful to a child.

DeSilva is a coach for the Massachusetts Maple Leafs, a club team made up of players aged 16 to 20 years old.

Police tell us the mother of a 16-year-old boy in Polk County, Florida contacted them when she believed DeSilva was communicating with her son via Facebook. Detectives then got permission to pose as the teen online and continued the line of communication with him.

After the officers took over, DeSilva proceeded to send nude photos of himself to them and describe what he would do to the boy sexually. He also made mention of his coaching hockey and also referenced coaching baseball.

DeSilva also began chatting with a second Polk County boy at this time, whom detectives began to impersonate as well. During the conversations, DeSilva attempted to solicit both teens to perform sex acts and send him nude photos of themselves.

Members of the Polk County Sheriff's Office traveled to Massachusetts and teamed up with New Bedford police and the Dartmouth State Police to arrest DeSilva.  A search warrant has been obtained for his home, and further charges are pending against him.

We're told that DeSilva informed detectives that he was aware of the boys' ages, and that he currently works at a group home for the mentally challenged.

One of DeSilva's neighbors, Bob Wexler, says the allegations are surprising.

"It's sad," Wexler said, "But things like this here are going around in the world all the time now."

Stay with Eyewitness News and wpri.com for more on this developing story.