Former Swim Coach Acquitted of Sex Abuse Charges

By Jackie Pierangelo

On Nov. 15, a 12-person jury in County Court, Mineola, found Costa Lempesis not guilty of all charges arising out of allegations of child sexual abuse made against him by a member of the swim team at Manorhaven Park pool, where Mr. Lempesis was the swimming coach for two summers.

Mr. Lempesis had been arrested last December outside the boy's Manhasset home. Mr. Lempesis had continued to correspond with the boy after the pool closed in September and was paying him a holiday visit.

The boy's mother became suspicious in September when the boy started to "act strangely." She took her son to the doctor. According to a doctor at the Nassau County Medical Center, the examination revealed that the boy had been sexually abused and the mother then called the police.

Lempesis' attorney, Diarmuid White, advised that the medical expert for the defense contradicted the findings of the Nassau County Medical Center's physician.

Mr. Lempesis had obtained a teaching job in Marathon, Florida in September of 1996, which he lost after his employers were informed of the charges that had been brought against him, according to Mr. White. Mr. Lempesis spent approximately $30,000 for legal fees, medical experts and investigators, Mr. White said.