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Ovidiu V. Dragos, 60, of Moorestown, showed the 15-year-old girl a nude photo of himself on his cell phone twice during group tennis lessons at the Cherry Hill Health and Racquet Club, Camden County Prosecutor Grace C. MacAulay and Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw said.
Dragos also placed numerous letters, cards, poems, and gifts in the victim’s tennis bag over a 2-year period, while providing private and group tennis lessons to the child at outdoor courts in Cinnaminson, Moorestown, and Cherry Hill, the prosecutors said.
Dragos, who also conducts private and group lessons at Cherry Hill Health and Racquet Club in Cherry Hill, was charged with promoting obscene material to a minor, endangering the welfare of a child, stalking, and harassment, following the investigation, authorities said.
He was arrested in Moorestown on Feb. 26, by the U.S. Marshals NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force – Camden Division. Dragos was remanded to the Camden County Correctional Facility pending a pretrial detention hearing.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is urged to contact Detective Kristen Blantz of the Camden County Prosecutors Office Special Victims Unit at (856) 225-8642, Detective Joshua Jenkins of the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office at (609) 845-2811, Detective Gregory Brisbin of the Cherry Hill Police Department at (856) 432-8830, or Detective Ryan Carr of the Moorestown Police Department at (856) 914-3037.
Editor's note: The Burlington and Camden County Prosecutors Offices said Dragos is a Moorestown High School tennis coach, however, Daily Voice has learned that Dragos has never been employed by the district in any capacity. The story has been updated to reflect this.
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