Former Las Cruces coach accused of illegally performing physicals on juveniles

A former basketball coach who was arrested last year on multiple felony counts of sexual exploitation of a child is now charged with illegally performing physical exams on at least three juvenile student-athletes.

Erik B. Khan, 33, is charged with one count of criminal sexual contact of a minor, a second-degree felony, and three fourth-degree felony counts of practicing medicine without a license.

According to the Las Cruces Police Department, their investigators and agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations learned that sometime prior to the 2007 basketball season, Khan allegedly performed physical exams on Picacho Middle School student-athletes even though he was not licensed to practice medicine in New Mexico.

Investigators determined that Khan allegedly conducted physical exams on at least three student-athletes in a locker room at the school.

“There was definitely physical contact between this subject and the students. These physicals that he is alleged to have performed definitely dealt with having children in various stages of dress or undress, so they were what a normal kid or athlete would consider a full physical,” said Dan Trujillo, spokesman for LCPD.

Trujillo said Khan chose a day that real doctors were giving authorized physicals at the school.

“At the time I think a lot of people thought he was a doctor. From the information we received from the young children some of them actually called him Dr. Khan,” Trujillo said.

In May 2012, Las Cruces police detectives and agents from HSI arrested Khan on 15 felony counts of sexual exploitation of a child. In that case, a Las Cruces police electronic forensics expert learned through an automated software program that a computer in Khan’s residence was possibly being used to download or share child pornography. The investigator determined that between Sept. 9, 2011, and May 7, 2012, there were possibly hundreds of illegal files stored or downloaded on Khan’s computer.

Las Cruces police investigators executed a search warrant on Khan’s residence in 2012, and allegedly discovered hundreds of computer files containing child pornography.

Detectives learned that Khan served as a basketball coach at Picacho Middle School and volunteer coach at Mayfield High School. He also is believed to have served several years ago as a counselor for juvenile sex offenders in Mesa , Ariz. Khan is being held on federal charges at the Dona Ana County Detention Center.

Jo Galvan, spokeswoman for the Las Cruces Public Schools District, said they are implementing a new policy for physicals performed at schools.

It will require district officials to verify the medical professionals giving the physicals are licensed, physicals will be performed in an open setting.

It will also make it clear that students will not be required to remove any clothing, a rule that has always been in place.

“It’s going to be much more structured and formalized. We need to make sure that there’s someone who can verify the licenses of the private professionals there working and giving physicals. We need to make record of who’s there,” said Galvan.

Anyone with additional information related to this case, or anyone who believes they may have been a victim of a similar crime, is asked to call Las Cruces Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Tips can be sent via email to lcpdtips@las-cruces.org.