Former University of Michigan soccer official accused of child sex crimes
(CBS DETROIT) - A former University of Michigan athletic official is accused of soliciting sex from teen boys and obtaining photos of others.
A criminal complaint filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan accused Jacob Anthony Kromberg, 26, of Howell, of coercion and enticement of a minor, receipt of child pornagraphy and possession of child pornagraphy.
Internet searches showed that Kromberg was the director of operations and sports scientist for Michigan's women's soccer. His profile on the school's site has since been removed.
The criminal complaint did not name U of M, but investigators conducted online searches and found that Kromberg previously worked at a high school in Washtenaw County as the boy's freshman soccer coach for the 2021-2022 season. The complaint did not include the name of the high school.
In a statement on Friday, U of M officials said, "We are aware of an ongoing criminal investigation and have terminated Jacob Kromberg's volunteer appointment, effective immediately. We are unable to comment further on this ongoing case."
In February 2024, a 14-year-old student-athlete reported to his coach that an individual sent him photos that he took of the teen "partially undressed" at a school sporting event and asked him "to engage in oral sex with him for money," according to the complaint. The teen said the person used multiple display names to solicit.
The teen took screenshots of their conversations, including a partial facial image of Kromberg that was sent to him. The image was sent to other coaches for awareness.
Several days later, a coach encountered Kromberg face-to-face at a sporting event and took photos of the vehicle the individual got in, sending them to law enforcement. Court records show that investigators found the vehicle was registered to a 56-year-old man in Howell and Kromberg also had the same address listed on his driver's license.
Investigators obtained the IP address attached to the Snapchat account and found it linked to a phone number associated with Kromberg.
Investigators obtained records of the account and uncovered two different usernames. One of them was the subject of a March 2024 cyber-tip complaint submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Court records show the victim in that complaint lives in Missouri.
Investigators also discovered photos of male student-athletes, ages 12 to 17, at sporting events shirtless and appeared to be unaware that someone was taking photos of them. The records showed messages between Kromberg and various Snapchat users in March 2024, when Kromberg solicited sex for money and admitted to going to wrestling events to take pictures of the teens shirtless.
Investigators also found "a collection of images and selfies from adolescent and teenage males who sent images of themselves," including nude photos, through Snapchat. One of the users told Kromberg that he was 16 years old.
On Wednesday, the FBI executed a search warrant for Kromberg's car and home, uncovering several items such as a hard drive with photos of teen boys.