Last Update: 7/13/2020
The owner of the now-closed Boxing Theory gym in Menlo Park has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a teenage client. 37-year-old Tristan Arfi has been charged with oral copulation with another person who is under 16 years of age; lewd and lascivious acts with a child of 14 or 15 years; and sexual penetration with another person who is under 16 years of age.
Arfi was arrested on Tuesday, June 4, after the girl contacted police to report that he had sexually assaulted her. The girl told police that Arfi was her personal trainer at Boxing Theory. He was booked at the San Mateo County Jail.
The Menlo Park Police Department believes there could be more victims. They have asked anyone with information regarding this case to contact Detective Ed Soares at 650-330-6360, Detective Joshua Russell at 650-330-6819, or the Anonymous Tipline at 650-6395.
Attorney contributor Jason Amala represents sexual assault victims and their families in civil lawsuits. Bobby has also worked as a sex crimes prosecutor, so he’s seen first-hand how both criminal and civil courts can help victims find justice. He offered to share the following insight regarding filing legal claims in instances where the owner of a gym commits sexually abusive acts.
“Gym owners have a legal responsibility to make sure their customers are as safe as possible from preventable dangers – including sexual violence. In gyms where adults are working with children, it’s extremely important to make sure all employees are trustworthy and that no sexual predators are permitted to work for the business. When a client is sexually assaulted by a gym employee or even the owner, it must be determined if any form of negligence played a role in allowing the assault to occur,” Mr. Amala explained.
“In sexual assault cases where the perpetrator is the gym owner, the victim and their family may have grounds for a lawsuit against the business due to gross negligence. If the perpetrator was an employee, there may still be grounds for a sexual assault lawsuit against the business owner on the basis of negligence,” he concluded.