Colorado prep basketball referee faces two years in jail for sexually assaulting girls during games
A former Colorado high school girls' basketball referee faces up to two years in jail after his conviction for sexually assaulting at least five players during games last year.
Stephen Amador, 52, was found guilty last week of nine misdemeanor counts of unlawful sexual conduct and is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 28, when he will learn whether or not he receives the two-year maximum penalty, according to TheDenverChannel.com.
Contracted by the Colorado High School Athletic Association to referee games for the previous seven years, Amador allegedly brushed one player's breasts as he handed her the ball for an inbounds pass and grabbed multiple players' buttocks in January 2013.
"Oh my God, did that just happen?" one girl stated in an affidavit after Amador allegedly grabbed her "right butt cheek" and squeezed it for a second during a pair of free throws.
A father reportedly overheard his daughter discussing the "creepy" ref with her teammates and alerted Jefferson County Public Schools officials, according to the local ABC affiliate. The school officials alerted police and no longer used Amador as a referee.
Amador's arrest last year forced the CHSAA to rethink its policy regarding officials, according to TheDenverChannel.com, and the state's high school athletics governing body now conducts criminal background checks on all officials. In separate 1991 incidents, Amador pleaded guilty to misdemeanor sexual assault and harassment, the report said.
- - - - - - -
is a contributor for Prep Rally on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at preprallyblog@yahoo.com or follow Prep Rally on Twitter!
