A man who is well-known by Phoenix Suns fans has been arrested on disturbing charges.
Patrick Batillo, known as Phoenix Suns super fan Mr. ORNG, has become well known for going to games dressed entirely in orange. He is going to be dressed in a different type of orange going forward if any of the allegations against him prove to be true.
The Valley High School coach was arrested Wednesday for alleged child sex crimes, according to authorities. The Phoenix Suns superfan was booked into jail on counts of luring a minor for sex exploitation and child prostitution, according to Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office records, via 12News.com.
Aside from cheering on the Phoenix Suns, Battillo is the head coach for the Peoria High School boys’ basketball team.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office stated that Peoria police began investigating the allegations against Battillo on April 9th after they had been contacted by the school administrators at Peoria High School.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NBA stories via Google! Follow Us
The Phoenix Suns fanatic was promptly arrested for allegedly soliciting sexual photos and videos from students in exchange for money. Authorities added that students reported Battillo to another teacher.
Instead of taking that information to the proper people, 46-year-old Holly Holgate told Battillo, which allowed him to leave the school before police could contact him.
Battillo was later detained in Goodyear without incident.
As for Holgate, he was arrested for allegedly hindering prosecution and failing to report child abuse.
Phoenix Suns Superfan Mr. ORNG Won’t Have Access To Kids After Latest Arrest
Peoria High School boys basketball team coach Patrick Battillo won’t be near any more children for the foreseeable future after he was arrested for disturbing sexual crimes regarding students at the school.
Investigators spoke with the people involved and learned the Phoenix Suns fan had been asking the juvenile victims to send videos and photos of themselves in various sex acts and various states of nudity.
The Peoria Unified School District released the following statement about the incident:
We are aware that two trusted members of our Peoria High School community were arrested last night. We are working to ensure that those who may have been victimized receive the space and care they need, and we are cooperating with Peoria Police Department on their investigation.
Patrick Battillo was the varsity basketball coach and volunteer, but yesterday we were made aware that he may have committed sex crimes involving children. As soon as we became aware of the allegations, we contacted the Peoria Police Department, the Arizona Department of Education and have filed a report with the Department of Child Safety.
Dr. Battillo began coaching basketball in 2019 and completed a fingerprint and background check clearance. Until now, no reports of misconduct have been brought to our attention from parents, students or community members. Peoria Police also arrested Holly Holgate, one of our teachers, for hindering prosecution and failure to report child abuse and neglect. She has been with Peoria High School since 2000 and had an up-to-date fingerprint clearance card.
Also Read: Devin Booker Continues to Dominate the Suns’ Record With His Performances
