Clovis gym owner acquitted of molestation charge, says he will fight to rebuild reputation
Clovis gym owner Richard Alonso, who was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a 16-year-old, was found not guilty by a Fresno County jury on Friday.
Alonso, 33, was facing up to a year in jail on a misdemeanor charge of child molesting if found guilty. He also would have been required to register as a sex offender.
It took the jury less than a day to clear Alonso, owner of Nemesis Sports Academy, a training gym for young elite athletes and adults.
Alonso said he’s relieved the ordeal is over and credits the support he received from his wife and her family for helping him get through trial.
“Their continued support made going through this process easier, even though nothing about being falsely accused could be described as easy. Of course, I lost a lot of relationships and partnerships along the way. But all I can do now is keep putting my faith in God and keep doing all the great things I have been doing for our community,” he said. “Slowly what was wrongfully taken from me will be rebuilt again.”
Alonso was investigated by Clovis police for allegedly sending inappropriate Instagram messages to a 16-year-old member of his gym.
But his attorney Sally Vecchiarelli convinced the jury that Alonso never sent those messages. She said the alleged victim used an app that allows a person to create fake direct messages. She said the teenager created a digital conversation to make it appear as though she and Alonso were involved in a relationship.
During her testimony, the teenager admitted to having feelings for Alonso and would fantasize about a life with him.
Vecchiarelli said during her closing statements that Alonso was a friend and coach to the teenager and nothing more.
“First and foremost, we support and encourage victims of abuse to come forward. However, in this case, there was no such victim. In a twist of events, the jury heard the evidence that Richard was in fact the victim. He was falsely accused of sending inappropriate Instagram messages that were proven to have never been sent from him or his Instagram account,” Vecchiarelli said after the verdict.
“During the trial all evidence was presented and the truth prevailed. Richard never sent inappropriate messages to a minor. As vindicating as his acquittal is, it is only the first step in repairing the damage done to his reputation.”
Deputy District Attorney Cameron Simoes believed the teenager’s story, telling the jury Alonso’s relationship with the alleged victim went beyond that of an athlete and her trainer. He said Alonso broke the law by allegedly sending those inappropriate messages to a 16-year-old.
Although the criminal case against Alonso is over, a 41-page defamation lawsuit against the family of the teenager continues.
Alonso filed the lawsuit in May last tear, alleging the teenager, her parents, and three others, have waged a smear campaign against him. He is suing for harassment, defamation, criminal conspiracy, invasion of privacy and negligent infliction of emotional distress, among other things.
He is seeking monetary damages to be determined at trial. A case management hearing is set for June 1.
The fallout from being charged with child molestation has been severe, his lawyer said. He has lost clients, his reputation has been tarnished and he was stripped of his ability to be involved in USA Gymnastics or USA Weightlifting events.
Even his gym’s designation as a “Safe Place” was taken away, his attorney says.
This story was originally published April 23, 2021 at 4:39 PM.
