Temecula Man Accused Of Providing Booze And Porn To Kids Released On Bail

A youth wrestling coach in Murrieta who allegedly furnished team members with alcohol and showed them pornographic movies was free today on $50,000 bail.

Michael David Atkins, 44, of Temecula was arrested Wednesday at his residence in the 46400 block of Teton Trail on suspicion of felony child endangerment, as well as misdemeanor allegations of providing alcohol to a minor, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and giving harmful material to a minor.

Atkins posted $50,000 bail and was released from the Southwest Detention Center in French Valley within hours of his arrest.

According to Murrieta police, the suspect is a coach for the Murrieta Golden Hawks Youth Wrestling Club, part of the Amateur Athletic Union. The organization supervises after-school sports programs.

"It came to the attention of the police department through an anonymous (source) that Atkins had developed a personal friendship with at least three minors on the club team over approximately the last four months,"  said Murrieta police Lt. Tony Conrad. "An in-depth investigation revealed that inappropriate actions took place off campus."

The wrestling club rents the gym at Murrieta Valley High School but is not in any way affiliated with the Murrieta Valley Unified School District, said Conrad, adding that Atkins is also not a school district employee.

Anyone with information about the case was asked to call Murrieta police Detective Paul Johnson at (951) 461-6359. --City News Service   

Editor’s Note: The outcome of these allegations, as well as the facts, may change as the case progresses through the legal system. Not all details of each investigation are made public. All items are alleged to have occurred. There should be no assumption of guilt.