Teacher Smackdown

In Livermore, California, police arrested gymnastics instructor, Carlos Amaro (a.k.a. Julian Amaro) on suspicion of molesting one of his underage male students.

Amaro, 25, is a national acrobatic gymnastics champion and the owner and head instructor at West Coast Acrobatics. He previously worked as an instructor for Gymfinity Gymnastics. Both studios are in Livermore.

He has been competing nationally since 1997. In 2005, he finished first in the National Team Trials, and earned him and his partner a spot on the U.S. national team.

Police detectives say they received a tip about the molestation. They then followed up with the victim whose age has not been released. He told police that he was molested by Amaro while at an acrobatic gymnastics event in Corona, California.

Detectives said Amaro admitted to touching the boy.

Amaro was arrested on suspicion for committing a lewd act on a child, but has not been formally charged with a crime - yet. He has no previous criminal convictions, and has been released on bail.

Police believe this was an isolated incident. However, they are encouraging parents to talk to their children if they were ever in contact with Amaro. Also, anyone with information on the case should call Livermore Police Sgt. Josh Ratcliffe at 925-371-4733.

The more I hear these stories the more I must urge parents to accompany their children to meets no matter how inconvenient or expensive it is. It’s a shame because you really want to trust their coaches and instructors. Bottom line is that the more involved and present you are, the more unlikely it is that your son or daughter will be molested.

We live in a sad, sad world unfortunately with a lot of sick, sick people.

Julian Amaro, Julian Amaro, sexual abuse, child molestation, gymnastics coach