Softball Coach On Leave; Husband Convicted Sex Offender
PALM DESERT – The head coach of the Palm Desert girls softball team, Ashley Nietois on administrative leave. Her husband, Ronald Nieto,a registered sex offender is out of jail and charged with three counts of not disclosing he is a sex offender.News Channel 3 first learned about the allegations last Tuesday,we waited to report on themuntil the investigationwas complete.
A phone call from a concerned parent started the investigation. The allegations say Ronald Nietowas helping coach the girls softball teams without letting the school or district know he was a sex offender. Ashley Nieto says, “I have been coaching for 6 years, it’s my program he has had nothing to do with it.” During interviews players said Ronald Nieto was involved in team practices and games. The girls say he would sit inside the dugout and keep score for his wife.
According to statements, in 2004, Ronald Nieto was a coach for the entire year at Palm Desert High School.Once he was told he needed to be fingerprinted and register as a volunteer, the athletic director at the time Christina Osborne says Ashley Nieto told them he was a sex offender. According to the court documents Osborne told both Ashley and Ronald Nieto he wasn’t allowed to be near the girls and had to stay in left field.According to players and parents,Ronald Nieto gradually became more involved with the girls softball team. Over this last summer he was at several of the practices.
The Riverside District Attorney’s Office filed three counts saying his involvement with the team put him in the role of a volunteer. The first count was for working with minors without disclosing his sex offender status.The second charge was for acting as a volunteer working directly with minors without disclosing his sex offender status. The third,was for beingon school grounds without permission. The third charge is not for his involvement with the softball team. Ronald Nieto is a student at College of the Desert.Authorities say he failed to tell C.O.D. he is a sex offender.
Ronald Nieto now living in La Quinta became a sex offender back in 1998. He pleaded guilty to lewd acts with a child. The child back thenis his current wife,the head coach of the Palm Desert girls softball team. At the time Ashley was 14, Ronald Nieto was 39. They’ve since gotten married, have a three year-old child and one on the way. Ashley Nieto says,”My husband is a good man, we’ve been married for 5 years.”
When asked whoshe thought made the call, Ashley saysit was the parent of one of her seniors who wasn’t going to make her varsity squad this year. She went onto say the father of the girl works at the Riverside county district Attorney’s Office.She believes the parents are getting back at her for not giving their daughter a spot on the team. The District Attorney’s Officeresponded by saying, “It is unfortunate that this sex offender’s wife is attempting to redirect attention away from her husband’s failure to comply with his registration requirements and attack those who had the courage to cooperate with the safe team’s investigation.”
The police investigation cleared Ashley Nieto of any wrong doing. Ashley Nietois however still being investigated by the Desert Sands School District. During the investigation there was no evidence Ronald Nieto had any inappropriate contact with the players. Ronald Nieto will be back in court on November 3rd.
