Raja Jabbour was the girls’ junior varsity head soccer coach at Albemarle High until he was dismissed from duties on May 2, six days after his April 26 arrest and almost two weeks after he was indicted by a grand jury for possession of child pornography. He remains behind bars pending a third hearing in federal court to determine whether he will
be released on a $50,000 conditional bond.
“Possession of child pornography [is] a crime that victimizes our children each and every time the images are viewed,” says U.S. Attorney John Brownlee. “Keeping our children safe from sexual predators is one of our highest priorities.”
According to a brief filed by Brownlee, more serious charges will probably be added to the porn possession charge, which alone holds a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years. That brief cites images and online conversations discovered on Jabbour’s computers, as well as evidence collected by an undercover agent.
Jabbour, who operates a local import-export business, Hannibal Enterprises Inc., allegedly traveled to Ohio to meet a woman he thought was interested in having him sexually initiate her 7- and 12-year-old daughters. In fact, the woman was an undercover cop, and Jabbour was arrested and held for questioning January 18, 2004. In online discussions with the officer, Jabbour allegedly wrote about a prior sexual relationship with an adult woman and her 10-year-old daughter. According to the brief, Jabbour admitted to searching for, observing and recording webcam videos of adults having sex with infants, adults having sex with children, and children having sex with children. He also admitted to transmitting child pornography.
The brief also details lurid online chats with girls claiming to be as young as 12. Using the screen name “kenny_scores13,” Jabbour allegedly manipulated a 12-year-old into sending videos of her masturbating by claiming he would be angry with her if she didn’t record herself as he suggested. A week prior to his arrest in April, Jabbour allegedly suggested the same girl film herself in an act of bestiality with her dog.
Albemarle County schools released a statement confirming that Jabbour had been the JV girls’ head coach and was not part of the teaching staff. They would not elaborate on the matter, including why it took six days to fire him following his arrest. Schools attorney, Mark Trank, did not return calls by press time. Neither did Jabbour’s attorney, Rhonda Quagliana.
Diane Behrens, executive director of support services for County schools, says that per State law, the school system conducts fingerprinting and criminal background checks for full-time or part-time hires.
Jabbour has also been a coach for Monticello United Soccer Club. Prior to the fall of 2002, he served as a coach for the Soccer Organization of Charlottesville-Albemarle (SOCA), when he was released for unrelated reasons.—Will Goldsmith