3RD BOY ACCUSES COACH : SUSPECT CHARGED IN MOLESTATION CASE.

Byline: Patricia Farrell Aidem Daily News Staff Writer

An Albuquerque, New Mexico soccer coach charged with molesting two Santa Clarita boys while in town to recruit for an international youth team faces an accusation from a third boy, a sheriff's investigator said Wednesday.

Richard David Bamrick, 33, who travels the country scouting local teams of 10- to 14-year-old boys, has pleaded not guilty to three felony counts involving two Santa Clarita boys, ages 10 and 11.

On Wednesday, a similar accusation was filed by the father of a New Mexico 11-year-old who played soccer with Bamrick there, said Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Kevin Carney.

The local charges stem from incidents during a private soccer workout at The Master's College on Saturday and a second practice Sunday at Hart Park. One of the boys told his mother, who contacted authorities, said Deputy District Attorney Dan Damon.

Bamrick faces up to 12 years in state prison if convicted, Damon said.

Bamrick's public defender, Bernie LaForteza, refused comment.

Bamrick's arrest as well as limited interest prompted the cancellation of a ``scramble'' soccer tournament this weekend that his Sporta Klubs Internacional had planned at Placerita Junior High School as a fund-raiser for a local youth team.

About 900 fliers had been distributed for the tournament that mixes players on several teams.

The accusations devastated the Santa Clarita Valley's closely knit youth soccer community, which boasts more than 7,000 young players, said Jeff Long, commissioner for the American Youth Soccer Organization's Newhall-Valencia division.

AYSO was not involved with Bamrick's recruiting or the scramble, but some AYSO players are also members of a private team sponsoring the event.

``There's an enormous concern in the community,'' Long said. ``It's a terrible thing, the families are devastated, the soccer community is shocked.

``The organization that worked with this coach had checked him out as thoroughly as possible and even given those resources, you can't always discover the kind of information that will allow you to avoid these incidents.''

Frank Park, who helped organize the scramble tournament, said recruits trained with Bamrick, who organized teams that traveled to Europe.

``He has worked for an organization that put together international teams that travel the country, to Europe and South America,'' said Park. ``They would visit tournaments, any tournaments, and they would look for kids who had soccer talent. He would come for just a few days at a time.''

Bamrick remained jailed Wednesday on $250,000 bail after his arraignment the previous day on two counts of oral copulation on a minor and one count of a lewd act on a minor, Damon said.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for next Thursday to determine whether he will stand trial.

Park said the charges against Bamrick should warn parents to watch their children, get to know their coaches and monitor practices when necessary. He also praised the boys for coming forward.

``Our boys did exactly what they were supposed to do,'' Park said. ``If someone attempts inappropriate behavior with you, you tell Mom and Dad. They did. He's in jail. The children stepped up and hit a home run.''