Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez recently filed a civil suit against Harry Goularte, who was recently arrested and charged on allegations of child abuse against a number of children, including Velasquez’s four year-old son.
In addition, the suit names Goularte’s mother and stepfather, owners of the daycare center that “fostered and maintained an environment where the children could be molested, sexually abused and harassed,” according to a copy of the complaint obtained by LA Times.
Velasquez took justice into his own hands earlier this year, hunting down and attempting to shoot Goularte in the streets of San Jose, leading to his own arrest on charges of attempted murder. Goularte was eventually released on bail as he awaits trial; however, Velasquez remains behind bars.
“The defendant should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” the plaintiff’s attorney told MMA Junkie. “His terrible criminal acts of abusing (my) client should (receive) the harshest criminal punishment available by law. The daycare facility should never operate again. And the owner should be held accountable both civilly and criminally for her neglect. This daycare has a history of neglect when it comes to following state laws pertaining to child safety and care.”
Velasquez will return to court for his long-overdue plea hearing on Aug. 19. As for the civil suit, which seeks both economic and non-economic damages, that gets underway with a case management conference in early September.
Stay tuned.