LANCASTER – Graphic testimony dominated day one of the preliminary hearing for a longtime Antelope Valley soccer coach accused of molesting more than a dozen young boys.
Renoir Valenti has pleaded not guilty to several felony counts of continuous sexual abuse and child molesting involving 13 boys, who were between the ages of 5 and 15 when the alleged molestations occurred. Read more here.
One of the alleged victims took the witness stand in an Antelope Valley courtroom Thursday.
“I know him to be a child molester,” the witness said, when questioned by prosecutor Jon Hatami on how he knew Valenti.
The witness testified he was nine-years-old when he met Valenti in 1998 through mutual friends at the east Palmdale apartment complex where they all lived.
Valenti’s apartment was a popular hang out with young boys in the neighborhood because Valenti had video games, BB guns and candy, the witness, who is now 23, testified. (The AV Times is withholding his name because of the nature of the case).
Valenti took him and his friends on field trips, took them to dinner, and gave them gifts, the witness testified. But after several “awkward” encounters with Valenti, their relationship soured, the witness testified.
“I dubbed him Chester the child molester,” he said.
Asked to describe the awkward encounters, the witness testified Valenti would ask him to sit on his lap when they were riding in Valenti’s car. He could feel Valenti’s erection while sitting on the man’s lap, the witness testified. He said Valenti also changed clothes in front him and his friends while they were playing video games in Valenti’s bedroom, and Valenti was “very touchy feely” and constantly kissing him on numerous occasions.
He said he discussed Valenti’s behavior with his friends, and word eventually got back to his mother, who notified authorities. The witness testified that his mother reported Valenti’s behavior to authorities in 1998, but nothing was done.
“I felt like nobody believed me,” the witness testified.
About 14 years later, Valenti, again, was reported to authorities.
On July 12, 2012, a mother came to the Lancaster Station and reported that Valenti had touched her nine-year-old son in an inappropriate manner, testified Lancaster Sheriff’s deputy Jason McGinty.
McGinty said he interviewed the boy on a bench outside the station, and the boy was emotional, hesitant and scared. The boy said Valenti had kissed him, sucked on his neck, and rubbed and sucked on his “shifter”, over his underwear, on seven to 10 occasions, McGinty testified. The boy said Valenti used the word “shifter” to refer to his penis, and said Valenti had played with his “shifter” on numerous occasions while the two were alone in Valenti’s bedroom, McGinty testified. The boy said his most recent incident with Valenti had been four days prior (July 8).
Valenti’s 39-year-old ex-wife also testified at the preliminary hearing Thursday. His ex-wife testified that she was 10 years old when she met Valenti, while at the beach with her family.
Valenti, who was over 21 at the time, began hanging out with her eight-year-old brother and buying him gifts, Valenti’s ex-wife testified.
She said she soon began joining Valenti and her younger brother on play dates, and eventually, a relationship between her and Valenti blossomed. She was 14 when she began dating Valenti and 15 or 16 when they got married, Valenti’s ex-wife testified. She said the two were married in 1988 and divorced 10 years later because she felt ignored and jealous of Valenti’s young male friends.
“I wasn’t paid too much attention to,” his ex-wife testified. She also testified that Valenti would take her on trips with his young friends and she had to sit in the back seat while the boys rode up front.
She said she filed a domestic violence report against Valenti in 1996.
Though the two divorced in 1998, they still live under the same roof. His ex-wife testified she lives in a “loft” in the upstairs portion of Valenti’s current Quartz Hill home.
During Thursday’s preliminary hearing, prosecutors also presented proof that Valenti used multiple aliases, including Raynard Haylock and Raymond Haylock, and he was born in 1959, as opposed to 1962.
Hatami presented evidence that showed Valenti was first issued a social security number in 1973 when he went by the name of Raynard Haylock. He then applied for another separate social security number in 1986 as Renoir Valenti.
Additionally, Valenti was arrested by the Nevada Police Department in 1980 for passing fictitious checks, Hatami said. At the time of his Nevada arrest, Valenti was going by the name Raymond Haylock, Hatami said. This week, Valenti’s complaint was amended to include charges of procuring or offering false or forged instruments for record.
Valenti’s preliminary hearing is expected to continue Friday morning, when several more witnesses, including Valenti’s two sons, are expected to testify. At the conclusion of the hearing, a judge will decide if there is enough evidence to bring Valenti’s case to trial.
UPDATED 9/21/2012:
Day two of the preliminary hearing for Valenti lasted less than an hour Friday morning (Sept. 21), and then the judge recessed the hearing until September 27.
During Friday’s brief hearing, Valenti’s ex-wife continued her testimony from the day before.
She said many young boys stayed over at the home she shares with Valenti and their two sons. She also testified that Valenti met many of the boys through his role as a youth soccer coach.
“He befriends kids who are in need,” Valenti’s ex-wife testified. She said she was aware that Valenti was accused of child molestation and even arrested in 1998. Valenti’s ex-wife also testified that she was aware that her then 12-year-old son had reported Valenti to authorities for molesting him in 2003.
That son took the witness stand after his mother Friday. Now 20 years old, Valenti’s son testified that his father never molested him or displayed inappropriate behavior around young boys.
Valenti’s 20-year-old son also testified that he couldn’t recall speaking to detectives in 2003 about his father molesting him.
Valenti’s 18-year-old son also took the witness stand Friday. The teen testified that his father would have as many as three boys spending the night at their house on several occasions. He said three young boys were spending the night at their home when deputies came by to arrest Valenti on August 6, 2012.
Valenti’s teen son said he had never been molested by his father, and said he found nothing strange about Valenti’s numerous friendships with young boys.
Valenti’s preliminary hearing is expected to resume at 1:30 p.m. on September 27. At the conclusion of the hearing, a judge will decide whether there is enough evidence for Valenti’s case to go to trial.
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Debra Russell says
I live around the corner from this thing not a person. I had words with him several times i have a 9 year old that knows a lot about this thing My son told us of his behavor and we told other parents but they seemed blinded . I knew he was a child molester and i told him so . He didnt like my child because he was aware of his actions i taught my son about people like him , Havent talked to police but before he gets off i will tell all i know and say .The guy is a strange person to watch his behavior around kids you should know something was wrong . But if the child keeps denying anything is going on and the parent seems to trust the guy i just steped back now i feel i should have called the police but my don wasnt a vitim hes a witness.
Gladdis says
The sons are probably afraid or too embarassed to speak out. Ex-wife sounds like she is lost in space. She must have finally realized her marriage was a front for his perversion. He wanted to marry her so people would think he was “normal”.
Why didn’t anyone follow up with the family in 1998? Why didn’t anyone do anythng about this guy when the son reported him in 2003? How could she stay there with her sons? Did he get his sons involved? Did his sons develope normal social skills or were there signs of abuse that people/teachers ignored?
How could her parents let her marry someone so much older than her when she was so young? What do her younger brothers have to say about this guy in the early days before he married her. He was obviously grooming them when he met her.
How could this Lancaster-Sandusky case happen in a community that screams from the mountain tops how much it hates sex offenders? I have so many questions.
vanessa says
Me to Gladdis. Me too. Not holding my breath for answers though. We seem to care a lot about sex offenders around election time, and that’s it. I’m starting to suspect our leaders need these sex offenders. What else will they run on?
Jobs? (sarcasm for those who need it explained to them)
vanessa says
This [removed] happens all the time. The reason others who know about it hide the truth and protect the abuser is because they have something to lose. Whether a wife or a employer. Just like they could have stopped this man in 1998. Just like they could of stopped this man in 2003.
Know of the same thing at LA County P & Rs. They got a supervisor who has a file an inch thick of sexual abuse complaints from female coworkers. Yet when approached and a complaint filed, they did everything they could do to beat down the woman who made the complaint, until she just gave up. Lost her job, lost her benefits. Why?
Because he had been fired once before for the same thing. If the victim had won the case, the county would of been 100% responsible, since they rehired him, and placed him in a position of power over women. So they just moved him again.
Forget the wife. Where the F**k are our authorities? Hiding because this shit gets messy. Shame on them!
So in another 10yrs, we’ll hear about a employed P & R worker raping women for years. And the story will talk about how the authorities were repeatedly told of the behavior. And we’ll get a big showcase trial, with them all acting like they care about the victims. Instead of stopping them from being victimized between now and then.
Gladdis says
If you know this for sure, you and the other women need to talk to a lawyer as a group. Someone from out of the area. I’m sure there are people who blog here that can give you referrals. These accusations are unacceptable and frightening. Rape now could mean murder at some point.
D. Inquisitive says
Seems like she does not have a good relationship with her sons; and most knew she was having a relationship with a well-known person whom invited all to a trip oversea.
T-Bone says
Sounds like his Sons are too embarrassed and don’t want to admitt in public their Dad abused them! Sick MoFo!
J. Ripper says
The AV’s own version of Jerry Sandusky.
MR. PERPLEXED IN THE AV says
WOW! THE EX-WIFE WAS BARELY 10YRS OLD WHEN THEY MET! TALK ABOUT A RED FLAG!
J. Ripper says
The living situation with the ex-wife is creepy too!!!
T-Bone says
I agree! She had to know something was going on!
Quigley says
She is just as guilty…no one is that stupid to not know what was going on….should have been arrested as well.