A 62-year-old Rio Rancho man is facing criminal charges and a civil suit in connection with accusations he sexually abused an Eagle Ridge Middle School female football player in the fall of 2016.
In November 2018, a Sandoval County grand jury returned an indictment charging Danny Charley, 62, with child solicitation by electronic device and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Each is a fourth-degree felony, punishable by 18 months in prison and up to a $5,000 fine.
The civil suit, filed by the mother of the player, who was 13 years old in November 2016, asks for compensatory and punitive damages, to be determined by the jury. The mother contends her daughter — a linebacker — “suffered physical injuries, severe emotional distress, pain and suffering, humiliation, indignities, loss of enjoyment of life, deprivation of her civil rights and invasion of her bodily integrity.”
That suit was filed June 7. It describes “Coach Dan” as an assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. According to the civil complaint, Charley isolated the girl, used his cell phone to ask her to perform sexual acts and sexually assaulted her in the girls’ locker room, the equipment shed and a white van he used to transport only her to away games, resulting in foreseeable psychological injuries and denying her equal access to educational and athletic opportunities.
The criminal trial, originally set for May 2019 before District Judge Louis McDonald, was postponed because Charley’s attorney’s daughter had a medical emergency. McDonald, since retired, has been replaced by District Judge Christopher Perez.
Charley was released on his own recognizance after the grand jury indictment.
Attempts to dismiss charges were denied. Perez held a competency hearing for Charley on April 26 and has yet to rule in the matter.