Coach Arrested for False Imprisonment. Young boys bound, gagged, and suspended from rafters.

Posted: May 14, 2008 08:40 AM PST

Updated: May 14, 2008 11:55 AM PST

Lincoln, NE - A Lincoln soccer coach has been arrested on six counts of false imprisonment.

Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner says 57-year-old Sanford Kaplan was arrested Wednesday afternoon following complaints that numerous young boys were bound, blindfolded, gagged and suspended from the rafters of Kaplan's garage at 14647 Country Lane. Sheriff Wagner says the investigation currently involves boys as young as 13, who claim they were held prisoner and abused at Kaplan's home beginning in 2000. Wagner thinks there are other victims, some now as old as 23.


Lancaster County deputies searched Kaplan's home last week and seized bindings, a camera and a computer.

Kaplan is employed at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he teaches geology. He is a varsity soccer coach at Lincoln Northeast High School and also coached for the Capital Soccer Association. A spokesman for CSA says Kaplan is no longer with the soccer league. Kaplan has also hosted high school foreign exchange students. He is being investigated on several other charges including child abuse and sexual assault. Sheriff Wagner says Kaplan's players often visited his home. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Lancaster County Sheriff at 402-441-7725.

Reported by Carrie Murphy, cmurphy@action3news.com

link: http://www.action3news.com/Global/story.asp?S=8322796