Youth baseball coach accused of molestation again
July 28, 2015
A youth league baseball coach who was charged with child molestation in the past, but never convicted, has been arrested again.
In the most recent case, coach D. Solomon, 47, a longtime coach of Cooper City's Optimist Club, had sleepovers with a young ball player, despite a history of multiple arrests of child molestation on his record. Though he was previously arrested, none of the arrests resulted in a conviction.
On the league's website, it says that it conducts background checks on its coaches and volunteers and bars individuals who have been convicted of crimes, including all types of sex offenses, regardless of how much time has elapsed since the offense.
However, the website said that its recommendation doesn't apply to criminal charges that resulted in an acquittal, nolle prossed or dismissal.
In a statement the club said that Solomon passed comprehensive background checks, conducted by the club's background check vendors.
Solomon was charged with two counts of sexual assault against a victim under 12. Broward Sheriff's Office said that the first alleged encounter against the victim occurred in April, but the department believes that he assaulted the ball player on several occasions.
According to the sheriff's office, Solomon used the guise of playing a game to sexually abuse the child under his care.
In a statement released by BSO, on several occasions, Solomon put his hands on the victim's private parts when he was driving the victim home, while the victim was alone at Solomon's house for a sleepover, and when he was alone with the child.
So far, a second victim has stepped forward and the sheriff's office expects there to be additional charges filed. Detectives on the case are concerned that there are more victims, the Miami Herald reports.
In 2000, Solomon was arrested by police in Miami-Dade and charged with the alleged molestations, however, both charges were dropped. One charge was for lewd and lascivious behavior with a child under the age of 16, and the other for fondling a child.
The family of one of the victims sued Solomon, Miami Shores, where he was a recreational league coach, and the Archdiocese of Miami, contending that Miami Shores and the archdiocese were negligent. The case was ultimately dismissed.
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