MORAGA — A local tennis instructor has been arrested on suspicion of sexually abusing a teenage girl he met on the court, court records show.

Michael Roy Howard, 64, was arrested on suspicion of four counts of sexual abuse of a minor and meeting with a minor with lewd intent, all felonies. He is being held in lieu of $325,000 bail, but has not yet been charged. Unless prosecutors file charges by Friday afternoon, he will be released from jail, authorities said.

Howard, who has addresses in San Francisco and Moraga, allegedly met the girl last year while teaching in Contra Costa County. The girl later told authorities that Howard was coaching young children at a local court when they happened to cross paths. He allegedly took an interest in her and started giving her rides home after tennis practice.

As they got to know each other, Howard started making comments about the girl’s looks and told her things like, “you’d be my perfect woman if you were a little older and could cook,” and that he didn’t believe it. she was “mentally” a high school senior, according to authorities.

Howard also gave the girl a free tennis lesson, took her out to lunch and touched her inappropriately during that date, according to authorities. The sexual abuse allegedly took place after he convinced her to accompany him to his house in Moraga last June.

The girl told authorities she was scared when Howard began kissing and touching her “aggressively,” but she was afraid to leave. After the first act of sexual abuse, he allegedly tried to get her to meet him at a hotel in the future, but she refused, authorities said.

Howard was arrested Wednesday in Danville and reportedly gave a statement to police, but authorities have not released details. Police say they are also investigating a statement from the girl that Howard sent her a picture of his genitals and made a remark about filming the sexual abuse after the incident at his home.

Authorities say Howard tutored children in the Bay Area, not just Contra Costa, and the case remains under investigation.

Originally published: November 14, 2024 at 4:37 PM PST