Cooper City Coach Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Player
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- From the Club house to the jail house, Cooper City Optimist Club baseball coach David Solomon is accused of molesting one of his players - an 11-year-old boy.
He's being held in the Broward County Jail.
Investigators say the child claims it happened up to 8 times in the coach's car and home.
"He would drive the child home, in that case, he did commit a sexual abuse in the car with the child," said Gina Carter, spokeswoman for the Broward Sheriff's Office. "He had the child sleep over at his home. In that case he committed a sexual battery."
Parents in Cooper City are livid, but none want to go on camera as they talk to their kids about what happened.
The child said Coach Solomon told him if he talked about what happened it would be a violation of "the bro-code."
Investigators say Solomon, a husband and father of two boys, would make a game of it, even giving fun names to specific sex acts.
"He had several kinds of sexual activities he wanted to do with the child and he would actually even call it by a specific name as if this was a game that he was playing," said Carter.
Cooper City officials posted a statement saying:
- The City of Cooper and Cooper City Optimist remain committed to safety as the first priority of the youth sports program within the City of Cooper City.
- The City of Cooper City and Cooper City Optimist have been advised by BSO that a long-time baseball coach in the Optimist's youth athletic program has been arrested.
- The accused individual passed comprehensive background checks which were conducted by the Optimist Club's background check vendors.
- The accused individual has been removed as a coach from the Optimist's roster of volunteers.
- This incident involving allegations against an individual, who served as a volunteer coach, should not in any way reflect on the outstanding work of the many parents and volunteers who serve in the youth sports program.
- Pending the BSO investigation and prosecution of the matter, any further information requests on the matter should be directed to BSO.
Solomon does have a record, of sorts. He was accused of three counts of lewd and lascivious molestation of a child in Miami-Dade in 2000 but each of those charges was dropped.
He tried to have his record expunged in 2011, but that was denied.
His attorney responded, "It's my understanding that there were issues," said Eric Schwartzreich, "There was recanting in that situation. Those charges were dropped. There might have been allegations, but anyone can make allegations against anyone."
The Optimist Club rules, posted next to the door, specifically say if the charges are dropped the person is eligible to coach.
A second child has come forward saying he too was molested. BSO is concerned there may be even more victims.
Solomon is being held with no bond. He's due back in bond court on Saturday. He could face more charges.
