Riverdale, NJ - Soccer Coach, Alejandro Almazan Charged with Sexually Assaulting an 11-year-old at Independence Field

Youth Soccer Trainer, Alejandro Almazan Charged with Sexual Assault

According to NorthJersey.com, a youth soccer coach has been charged with allegedly sexually assaulting an 11-year old girl during a private soccer lesson.

Pompton Lakes resident, Alejandro Almazan, is the young girl’s coach through the Ramapo Youth Soccer Association, a local group offering soccer training to young athletes. The incident allegedly occurred during a private lesson on August 9th at Independence Field in Riverdale.

During the lesson, the victim claims that Almazan had her jog with him to a private area of the field. Once they were secluded, he touched her over her clothing and also exposed himself by pulling up his shorts.

Almazan has been charged with sexual assault, lewdness, and endangering the welfare of a child.

Attorney Comments on Options for Victims of a Sexual Assault

Attorney Guy D'Andrea is a sexual assault lawyer who is licensed in New Jersey. He has helped multiple victims receive compensation after they were sexually assaulted. He offered the following comments on sexual assaults and the options that victims may have for a civil lawsuit:

Mr. Kent started by elaborating that: “Youth sports trainers often find themselves in positions of power and trust where they are trusted to be alone with children. This unique situation makes it a good camouflage for sexual predators. Because of this added risk, organizations that are responsible for pairing children with trainers are required to take additional measures in order to ensure the safety of those who are being trained, especially in a private environment.”

He continued by stating what some of these measures could be: “There are many ways to reduce the risk of a sexual assault or to increase the odds of catching one if it does occur. Applicants for training jobs should be thoroughly vetted and interviewed. The organization can also check-in on training sessions, reach out to trainees to ensure everything is safe, and set up a complaint system to make reporting abuse as easy as possible for the victim. If a court finds that an organization has not adequately attempted to prevent a sexual assault, the organization may be held liable in civil court and ordered to pay damages to the victim.”

Sources:

https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/passaic/pompton-lakes/2020/08/20/soccer-coach-accused-sexual-assault-player-during-private-lesson/3404248001/

https://www.nj.com/morris/2020/08/soccer-coach-sexually-touched-11-year-old-during-private-lesson-prosecutor-says.html