A court hearing for Henry Germain, the former Castlewood Country Club tennis pro who is accused of child molestation, has been continued to Feb. 26.
Germin, 62, was granted the continuance Jan. 26 by Judge Christine Moruza. He remains free on $1.14 million bail since he was first arrested Sept. 2. He pleaded not guilty Jan. 9 to 16 charges of sex crimes against six female victims.
Attorney Elizabeth Grossman, who represents Germain, had previously said she would file a formal demurrer, which would challenge the legitimacy of the charges.
Deputy District Attorney Susan Torrance said cases like these can take some time. While additional investigation details have not been released, she said this is a “very strong case.”
There have been questions regarding the statute of limitations for the victims. In previous hearings, Grossman had said the alleged victims came forward with their information after the time allowed in the state of California, which is currently 10 years.
Sgt. Ray Kelly of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department said no more victims have come forward. Prior to December, about a half dozen alleged victims came forward, according to Kelly, saying they were abused by Germain back to the early ’80s when he worked as a tennis pro at the now closed Desert Club of La Quinta in Palm Desert, Calif. While Germain can’t be charged from these alleged incidents, the victims can testify in court.
The next hearing will be Feb 26 in Department 704 at the county courthouse on Stoneridge Drive.
