From The Stamford Advocate Page A12, Thursday, September 7, 2006
Stamford Man Arraigned in Sex Assault Case Involving 7-Year Old
"The case of a Stamford man charged with sexually assaulting a 7-year old New Canaan girl at a summer camp was transferred yesterday to state Superior Court in Stamford,
Esteban Naranjo, 20, who worked at the camp as a lifeguard and swim instructor, appeared in state Superior Court in Norwalk with his attorney, Mario Demarco, at yesterday's arraignment. Demarca said Naranjo is innocent.
Naranjo is charged with first degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor in the incident, which allegedly occurred at Horizons Student Enrichment Program at New Canaan Country School while Naranjo was giving a swimming lesson to the victim on July 13. He has not entered a plea.
Naranjo, who had taught the swimming program at Horizons for the past five years and maintained the pool at New Canaan Country School, was put on paid adminsistrative leave.
After his arrest, Naranjo was fired from his job as a lifeguard and swim instructor at the Darien YMCA.
According to court documents, the victim said the assault took place during a dive lesson in the pool. She later reported the incident to a teacher at the camp.
Confronted on the day of the incident by the executive director of Horizons Student Enrichment Program, Naranjo said, "I wouldn't do that to a child. O'm not that kid of person," according to court documents.
In a videotaped interview the following day, the victim said Naranjo had touched her inappropriately several weeks before, but she didn't tell anyone because she was scared. She also said that after leaving the pool are she told her friends what happened, and they they said "yes" when she asked wheter the same thing had ever happened to them
When New Canaan police arrived at Naranjo's home at 44 Toms Road later that day, Naranjo denied touching the victim inappropriately but changed his account fo events several times, according to an affidavit from New Canaan police.
He later acknowledged that it was possible he could have toucher her accidentally because he has physical contact with the students to teach them to swim. But he disputed the girl's account of what happened, according to court documents.
The three other instructors in the pool said they did not see inappropriate contact between Naranjo and any childeren at the camp, according to court documents.
Naranjo has a prior conviction for second-degree breach of peace in March 2005 in Norwalk."
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