The former head of USA Softball, John Gouveia, was arrested in April and charged with a number of sexual practices with minors.
Juvia, 61, was arrested on April 14 on eight counts of lewd offenses with a child under 14. He said on Tuesday.
According to the indictment documents, the eight charges refer to crimes committed between 2015 and 2021, with several children under 14 years old.
Juvia’s attorney Jason R. Holly declined to comment. Gouvia’s next court date is August 11th.
Gouveia worked in multiple roles at the National Softball Association for nearly 30 years, from 1991 to 2019, and was the president of the organization. The sheriff’s office said the accusations against Juvia had nothing to do with US Softball.
USA Softball said in a statement She clarified Tuesday evening that her officials had no independent knowledge of the allegations, and learned of them through news reports. The organization added that it will report the allegations to the American Center for Safe Sports and to child protection services in Sacramento County.
“The alleged conduct is inconsistent with and inconsistent with USA Softball’s mission and core values, which include developing and managing the sport while providing the best possible experience for all softball participants,” the organization said in the statement.
Gouveia has also worked with Hayward Area Recreation and Park District for 25 years, which operates dozens of parks in Hayward, California. He retired from his position as its general manager in 2016, but the sheriff’s office said the arrest was not related to the recreation center.
The news comes as American softball begins competing at the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Ala. , starting on Saturday.
