Suns superfan Mr. ORNG arrested for alleged child sex crimes

A Valley high school coach known as Phoenix Suns superfan Mr. ORNG was arrested Wednesday for alleged sex crimes against children, authorities announced.

Patrick Battillo, 37, was booked into prison on charges of enticing a minor to engage in child sexual exploitation and sex trafficking, Peoria police said.

Battillo is the head coach of the Peoria High School boys' basketball team and volunteers at the West Valley campus.

School administrators notified police Tuesday after learning that Battillo had allegedly offered to pay underage students money for sexually explicit images and videos.

“As soon as we became aware of the allegations, we contacted the Peoria Police Department and the Arizona Department of Education and filed a report with the Department of Child Safety,” Danielle Airey, a spokeswoman for the Peoria Unified School District, said in a statement.

After investigators investigated the allegations, Battillo was arrested without incident in Goodyear, police said.

Teacher is accused of informing Mr. ORNG about investigations

Another school employee was also arrested in connection with the incident. Holly Holgate, 46, allegedly informed Battillo about the investigation and allowed him to leave campus before he could be questioned.

Holgate is a teacher and Battillo volunteers in her classroom. She was taken into custody on charges of hindering law enforcement and failure to report child abuse or neglect.

Anyone with information about the case was asked to call the Peoria Police Department at 623-773-704 or provide tips online or via email.

Why is Patrick Battillo known as Mr. ORNG?

Battillo has been a fixture at Suns games for years. His Mr. ORNG persona's orange outfits, from hair to toes, including full face paint or makeup, were impossible to miss in person or on television.

He even appeared in a commercial promoting the NBA Christmas Day games in 2021.

District officials said Battillo completed the fingerprint and background check before being hired as a coach at Peoria High School in 2019.

“To date, we have not heard of any reports of misconduct by parents, students or community members,” Airey said.

Holgate has been at the school since 2000 and has a current fingerprint clearance card, the district said.