NOBLESVILLE, Ind. -- A diving coach at a Hamilton County camp has been arrested on accusations he touched a juvenile inappropriately multiple times while that juvenile was enrolled at the camp.
Johel E. Ramirez Suarez, 34, of Noblesville, was arrested Tuesday and charged with five counts of sexual misconduct with a minor, five counts of child seduction and 17 counts of battery.
The Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office says their investigation led to a juvenile female who was training with RipFest, a dive camp located in Arcadia. That juvenile said Ramirez Suarez touched her inappropriately on more than one occasion.
Further investigation uncovered that two adult females alleged similar behavior by the coach while they were at the facility used by RipFest.
No further details on the accusations were provided.
Ramirez Suarez was arrested after an interview at his home Tuesday. The Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office in conjunction with Homeland Security continues to investigate the accusations.
RipFest advertises multiple camps throughout the year for divers, college prep classes and individual lessons, among other diving-related services. It uses multiple facilities, but houses its campers in Acadia adjacent to a dry-land facility that features trampolines, foam pits and other training equipment out of the water.
The camp describes itself as the "premier diving program in the world. Led by the incredible 2008 Olympic Diving Coach, John Wingfield, who is widely regarded as the best developmental diving coach in the world, RipFest hosts hundreds of divers, coaches, and teams of all ages and abilities throughout the year. With an incredible curriculum, professional coaching staff, and world-class facilities, RipFest offers elite training programs for all while having fun and making life-long friendships!"
The camp's Facebook page shows multiple camp participants signing college acceptances to dive at the collegiate level.
According to the camp's website, it accepts athletes "of all ages and abilities. From taking that first plunge from the diving board all the way to Olympian, RipFest is uniquely equipped to offer a highly individualized and holistic curriculum through our clubs, clinics, camps, and team trips."
In the FAQ section of the website, the camp lists this information about supervision while participants stay:
HOW ARE CAMPERS SUPERVISED DURING THEIR STAY?
We have brought together the finest coaches and counselors to assist with ensuring all campers can enjoy their training and stay under the safest environment possible. All coaches and many of our counselors are First Aid, CPR, and AED certified and ALL coaches, counselors, and athletes over the age of 18 undergo an extensive interview and background screening process.
A spokesperson for RipFest Diving released the following statement:
“When we were made aware of allegations against one of our coaches, we immediately removed him from our program and instructed him not to return to our facility pending the outcome of the investigation. In light of recent developments, we have terminated him immediately. We have cooperated fully with law enforcement and we will continue to do so. RipFest Diving is committed to providing the highest quality training for our diving students in an extremely professional and safe environment.”
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