DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. – A 65-year-old chess tutor was arrested Wednesday after he molested a 7-year-old girl at his home in Deerfield Beach, authorities said.
According to an arrest report, Valeriy Gorokhov would tell the girl's legal guardian to leave the room while he gave her chess lessons because he said the girl would be distracted.
Broward sheriff's deputies said the girl told her guardian and grandmother May 20 that Gorokhov placed a seashell in the pocket of his shorts during a lesson the day before and told her that it fell on his penis and she needed to help him retrieve it.
Deputies said Gorokhov placed the girl's hand down his pants and forced her to rub and pull on his penis to retrieve the shell.
The girl told her guardian that Gorokhov went to the bathroom to retrieve the shell, which he gave to her.
The guardian notified authorities and provided a taped sworn statement about the information the girl gave to her about the incident.
"He used this item, the seashell, as a reward, he said, with the kids," BSO spokeswoman Gina Carter said. "So, we do believe there is a chance that there are other victims."
Gorokov's neighbor told Local 10 News reporter Todd Tongen that he was disgusted and horrified about the allegations.
"I feel horrible for the child," Gorokov's neighbor, Bob Russo, told Local 10 News. "You know, I am angry at the grandmother. This guy here, I mean, this guy here I don't know if there is a punishment bad enough for him."
Detectives said Gorokhov denied molesting the girl and said that he provides shells to the children he teaches and does exercises with the children when they appear tired or bored from playing chess.
Deputies said he claimed that a child might have rubbed against his penis during an exercise, but said that he never intentionally had a child touch his penis.