His story is one of the American dream. A now 34-year-old accomplished athlete, coach and counselor came here as an immigrant. He brought his hopes and passions to Colorado, proving himself as an All-American athlete at the University of Colorado and a guiding light to students at a local high school.
But the positive trajectory in this man’s life has been at the very least paused by an incredibly serious criminal allegation. Sources report that the once-revered Denver resident has been charged with one count of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust. One cannot face such an allegation without trying to aggressively defend himself.
The details of the criminal allegation are being kept private. When a supposed victim of this sort of crime is a child, this is common practice. But as we have seen in past and recent cases involving child victims of reported sexual abuse, even a lack of details or a conviction can greatly impact the accused person’s life.
The man who faces the sex assault charge has a history in his life and within this community of affecting positive change. He is the first in his family to graduate high school (even though he didn’t speak English when he got to Denver), was a star athlete at his high school and, as an adult, put his talents toward helping other students.
Before he was arrested on Tuesday for the criminal charge, he had been working in a high school as a coach and counselor to the kids. Last year, he was reportedly honored for his teaching in the district. As of yesterday, he is in quite a different position: still in custody of Denver authorities.
This sex crime case is sure to remain in Denver’s spotlight because of the seriousness of the allegation and because of the defendant’s otherwise positive reputation. We will post an update as we learn of new developments in the case.
Source
9news.com: “‘Positive role model’ at Lincoln High School accused of sex assault,” Jeffrey Wolf and Eric Kahnert, Dec. 13, 2011