NORTH MIAMI, FLA. (WSVN) - A coach was arrested after being accused of inappropriately touching his underage acrobat students. Now the owner of the academy is speaking out.
Gustavo Adolfo Gil-Reyes, 38, was arrested on several serious and disturbing charges of molestation of a child between the ages of 12 and 16 years old and battery.
“As soon we got the allegations of inappropriate touching, we obviously took the initiative and let him go,” said Veronica Tirado, co-founder of Acro Gravity Academy in North Miami.
She said Gil-Reyes worked here, teaching trampoline and tumbling, up until those allegations surfaced.
“It’s a bit frustrating to not see it coming,” said Tirado. “But we did do everything that was in our hands as soon as we got the allegation.”
The co-founder said she immediately contacted the police about the accusations against Gil-Reyes, who worked at the facility for about 8 months.
“His classes were growing. We took videos of him shaking hands with students,” Tirado said. “It was all a happy environment. When we got the allegation it really took us by surprise, we never saw it coming.
She also said she checked surveillance footage and met with alleged victims.
“We checked the surveillance cameras and we don’t have any camera that shows anything alleged, but at the same time, it takes 2 seconds for that to happen, for a student to feel they were touched inappropriately.”
Police still felt there was enough to charge the instructor.
“I would never allow a student to feel that way in our facility,” said Tirado. “We are a happy environment, a motivating environment.”
Gil-Reyes has bonded out of jail. 7News knocked on his door but did not get an answer.