The Velasquez family has launched a civil suit against Harry Goularte.
[CW: The following story contains details of an alleged sexual assault on a minor]
According to The Washington Post a lawsuit was recently filed against Harry Goularte, the man accused of molesting Cain Velasquez’s 4-year-old son. The plaintiffs named in the lawsuit are Velasquez’s son and a legal guardian.
Goularte has been charged with one felony count of a lewd or lascivious act upon a minor. He has plead not guilty to that charge and is currently out on bail.
The Velasquez family lawsuit against Goularte claims the 43-year-old exposed himself before disrobing and touching the genitals of Velasquez’s son.
Earlier it was reported that the alleged victim in this case told police that Goularte may have assaulted him a hundred times. It is claimed that these alleged attacks happened at a daycare facility operated out of a home owned by Goularte’s mother.
Goularte’s mother, Patricia Goularte, and his step-father, Paul Bender, are also named as defendants in the suit. The daycare business, 25 of its employees and a concrete business owned by Goularte are also named in the suit.
The lawsuit accused the defendants of having “fostered, maintained, and allowed an environment for its attendees to fall victim to sexual abuse at the hands of [Goularte].” The suit also claimed that Goularte, despite not working for the daycare, had “daily access” to children.
The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office is investigating whether there are any other potential victims who attended this daycare center.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Velasquez remains behind bars after being denied bail, on two occasions, over an attempted murder charge and various gun-related offences.
Velasquez’s charges stem from an incident in February where Velasquez allegedly fired a gun into a vehicle carrying Goularte, Patricia Goularte and Paul Bender. Only Bender was hit by gunfire. He sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Velasquez is accused of firing the gun during an 11-mile high-speed chase through San Jose.
Velasquez is due in court in August. If he is convicted of attempted murder he faces the possibility of a 20-year prison sentence.