Baltimore County softball coach pleads guilty to federal child sex crime involving former player

A Baltimore County softball coach pleaded guilty in federal court to a child sex crime involving a former player who was a minor at the time.

59-year-old Michael Pusateri pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor.

Court documents show Pusateri exchanged text messages with the victim for five months when she was 16 and 17 years old. He convinced her to send him sexual images and also sent sexual images of himself.

Investigators found more than 400 calls between Pusateri and the victim between March and July 2025.

The victim first met Pusateri when she was about 8 years old and joined his club softball team when she was 11 or 12. He was still her coach during the abuse.

Pusateri previously pleaded guilty to state charges involving the same victim and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

He now faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in federal prison.

Sentencing is set for Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2027.

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