Local Coach in Custody for Child Pornography

He taught classes in San Diego and Puerto Rico

A former San Marcos figure skating coach is in custody in Leominster, Mass., months after the San Diego County Sherriff's Department issued an arrest warrant for possession of child pornography.

On Friday, U.S. Marshalls detained Marc Romain Jacque Mandina, 41, who according to a October warrant,  “knowingly videotaped” a 12-year old girl as she was "showering in the master bathroom of Mandina's residence."

Mandina told the girl’s father "he had in fact taken the video and kept it for his personal use," the warrant stated.

Mandina went willingly into custody and is being held on $250,000 bail, said Sgt. Andrew Dupuis of the Leominster Police Department.

Mandina, a French national champion in figure skating, coached at skating venues around San Diego, including the San Diego Ice Arena in Mira Mesa.

Last September, Mandina traveled to Puerto Rico to coach students at a Puerto Rican Figure Skating Association seminar.

“When he came to Puerto Rico, I was always with him," said Cesar Bonilla, a program coordinator, in a phone interview. "He was never alone with the kids."

Bonilla added he was surprised by the charges against Mandina.

In late December, Bonilla tried to contact Mandina in Boston to get him to return for another clinic. Mandina said he had to deal with “personal issues” and soon stopped returning Bonilla’s phone calls, Bonilla said.

Mandina will be arraigned Monday, after which he will be transported to San Diego.

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