FORT WORTH, TX — A 27-year-old former water polo coach from Roanoke has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after a Tarrant County jury found him guilty of multiple counts of child sexual abuse. Adrian Joseph Maher was convicted on Thursday, April 23, 2026, in the 213th Judicial District Court.
Judge Christopher Robert Wolfe presided over the trial, which resulted in guilty verdicts for four counts of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child and four counts of Indecency with a Child by Sexual Contact.
Abuse Within a Youth Sports Club
The investigation began in early 2025 while Maher was employed as a coach for the Texas Thunder Water Polo Club, located in the 2600 block of Southlake Boulevard. The victim was a 13-year-old girl who played for the club.
According to the arrest affidavit, the president of the Texas Thunder Water Polo Club contacted the Southlake Police Department in early February 2025 after becoming aware of a potentially inappropriate relationship between the coach and the minor. Maher was fired immediately following the allegations.
Evidence of Grooming and Physical Abuse
The investigation revealed an extensive digital and physical grooming process:
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Digital Communication: After police alerted the victim’s parents, a search of her phone uncovered over 6,000 text messages between the 13-year-old and Maher. The messaging began in October 2024, approximately six months after he began coaching her.
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Physical Assaults: The relationship escalated to physical sexual acts. Evidence showed that Maher would drive the victim to areas near Southlake Town Square to engage in sexual conduct.
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Surveillance and Forensic Evidence: Southlake detectives successfully obtained surveillance footage from cameras around Southlake Town Square. The footage clearly showed Maher’s vehicle with the victim inside during the times the assaults were alleged to have occurred.
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Indecent Conduct: Police reports also documented that Maher exposed himself to the girl during a FaceTime video call.
Trial and Sentencing
Maher was originally arrested by Southlake Police officers on February 5, 2025. During the trial, Prosecutors Steven Elliott and Alec Trono presented the digital evidence and surveillance footage to the jury, leading to the conviction on all eight counts.
Maher's 20-year sentence will be served in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
