SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – A former manager at a North County swim school is sharing her concerns following new charges against a former swim teacher.
Amy Moreno is the former general manager of Callan Swim School. She was stunned to learn that former swim teacher, Nicholas Piazza, had been arrested again.
"I was even more shocked that he was still teaching lessons and able to do it again," said Moreno.
Last week, San Diego County Sheriff investigators announced that Piazza was taken into custody a second time. Investigators say a seven-year-old boy told his mother that Piazza had sexually assaulted him on two separate occasions last month.
The alleged incidents happened during a private lesson in Rancho Santa Fe. At the time, Piazza was out on bail and had been ordered not to work with children because of the previous case.
Piazza was first accused of inappropriately touching a child during a swim lesson at Callan Swim School in San Marcos over the summer of 2021. Moreno was on personal leave at that time.
"At that time the owners of Callan Swim School said they were going to take Nicholas Piazza out of the water. They did for about a week, after one week, he was back in the water teaching," said Moreno.
According to court documents, in October 2021 Piazza was charged with the felony of committing a lewd act upon a child. The six-year-old reportedly told his mother that a substitute swimming instructor touched his private parts."
San Diego defense Attorney Kerry Armstrong is representing Piazza in the first case.
Piazza sent 10News a statement that says in part, "I have watched the video of the 13-minute swim lesson on the first case numerous times, and I firmly believe that Nick is innocent. The little boy never reacts whatsoever to any alleged underwater touching during the swim lesson, and he seems very happy throughout the lesson. He even high-fived Nick three times on video after the lesson ended."
Moreno says the cameras don't capture anything up close.
"As far as the kicks of the child or anything going on under the water, you wouldn’t see that," said Moreno.
We reached out to the owner of Callan Swim School Monday but did not hear back.
Last week attorneys for the school sent 10News the following statement.
" It is come (to) our attention that a former swim instructor of Callan Swim School was recently charged with a crime. That instructor has not been employed with CSS for quite some time and was not employed by us during the time of this alleged incident. We would like to make it clear, after teaching swimming lessons for over 60 years and being in this business of saving lives, CSS would never knowingly put any student in jeopardy in any capacity. CSS categorically denies any allegations at suggest anything to the contrary. "
Sheriff investigators are asking for possible additional victims to come forward. As of Monday, no one had contacted the department regarding the case.
Piazza is scheduled for trial in the first case on Dec. 14. He's jailed in Vista without bail.
