NORTH MIAMI, Fla. – A coach at what is described as a “circus school” in North Miami surrendered to police last Friday after he was accused of inappropriately touching three girls, authorities said.
The incidents allegedly occurred at Acro Gravity Academy, where acrobatics and gymnastics is taught.
While they do have adult classes, they also teach children.
According to authorities, Gustavo Adolfo Gil-Reyes, 38, inappropriately touched a 15-year-old girl and two 12-year-old girls.
The alleged victims claim that on multiple occasions during stretching exercises, Gil-Reyes would place his face on their private parts while their clothing was still on.
In another instance, he is alleged to have placed his hand underneath the clothing of one of the students.
Local 10 has since learned that Gil-Reyes has been teaching at the academy for eight months.
“I never in my life have any kind of complaint, any situation like this. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know why they’re putting all these things on me,” he told Local 10 News reporter Roy Ramos, calling the allegations “fake.”
Gil-Reyes said things “can be misunderstood because the flexibility exercises can be contact.”
One of the owners said that they notified police as soon as they became aware about the accusations and that he was fired on Friday.
“We immediately let him go because we don’t allow that to be here,” co-owner Veronica Tirado told Local 10 News. “It happened to me when I was young and that can’t happen here.”
Gil-Reyes ultimately turned himself into police and while he has since bonded out of jail, he faces three counts of lewd and lascivious molestation on children under the age of 16.