SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KGTV) — A 19-year-old North County swim instructor has been arrested and accused of sexually abusing a 7-year-old student.
According to the San Diego County sheriff’s Child Abuse Unit, on Sept. 28, the child told his mother that his swim instructor, Nicholas Piazza, had sexually assaulted him on two separate occasions. Law enforcement says the alleged incidents happened during private swim lessons between Sept. 7 and Sept. 25 in Rancho Santa Fe.
On Sept. 29, Piazza was arrested and booked into the Vista Detention Facility on numerous charges, including performing lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14, committing a felony while on bail and contempt of court.
Court documents show that Piazza was arrested last year and formally told by a court order to no longer work where children are present. Detectives say he was working as an instructor at Callan Swim School at the time of that arrest.
In response, Callan Swim School provided a statement to ABC 10News on Thursday:
“It is come our attention that a former swim instructor of Callan Swim School was recently charged with a crime. That Instructor has not been employed with the 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's Child Abuse Detectives say they want to talk to anyone whose child was coached by Piazza and thinks they were a victim.
You can call the Sheriff's Child Abuse Unit at (858) 285-6293. You can also remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
