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Wednesday, March 27, 2024 | Back issues
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Swimming Federation Blamed in Molestation

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (CN) - A San Bernardino swim team did nothing to punish a referee who was molesting girls on the team, and kicked a girl's father off the board when he went to police with explicit text messages and had the coach arrested, the man claims in Superior Court.

Rooke Baron sued the Southern California Aquatics Foundation (SCAF) and one of its referees, Nicholas Simental. Baron says Simental was arrested and pleaded no-contest to molesting his daughter.

Baron's daughter showed him explicit text messages from Simental and said that she had had sex with him from the time she was 14 until age 17, the father says.

Baron says he went to the Fontana Police Department with the text messages and Simental was arrested and charged with six felony counts. He pleaded nolo contendere, according to the complaint.

The complaint states: "Aside from having ample notice of defendant Simental's sexually deviant behavior, SCAF otherwise had either actual [or] constructive notice of sexual abuse against minors including molestation, sexual intercourse, etc., for many years. SCAF was aware of Simental's action with plaintiff that included countless instances of sexual misconduct with plaintiff that included sexual intercourse, sodomy, and oral copulation."

After Simental was arrested, Baron says he went to the team's president, Hadi Farid, and told him that Simental had molested his daughter and that he had been arrested for it. But Farid allowed Simental to continue working as a referee while he was out on bail and told Baron that he had no intention of investigation the allegations, according to the complaint.

Baron says he was kicked off the board for the Inland Area Chapter and claims that Farid told him that the other board members were angry at him for reporting Simental to the police.

Farid is not named as a defendant.

Baron seeks punitive damages for assault and battery, sexual battery, negligence and emotional distress. He is represented by Victor Raphael.

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