DHS Opens Child Exploitation Probe of Volleyball Coach Ryan Richardson

Key Points:

• Ryan Richardson, a Texas volleyball coach previously suspended and permanently banned by SafeSport for sexual and physical misconduct involving minors, is now under federal investigation by Homeland Security Investigations for child exploitation.
• Allegations include Richardson having an intimate sexual relationship with a 16-year-old player starting in 2022, grooming, and emotionally and physically abusing other players; these claims surfaced following a ProPublica and Washington Post report.
• Despite complaints and suspensions since early 2025, Richardson continued coaching teenage girls at his gym in Pharr, Texas, and denied wrongdoing, calling allegations attempts to defame him.
• Local police declined to investigate after a parent reported the abuse, citing the victim’s legal adult status and her refusal to cooperate, but Homeland Security is now reviewing police handling of the case as part of its probe.
• Richardson has not responded to requests for comment, and the Department of Homeland Security declined to confirm or deny ongoing investigations.