Former Fort Lauderdale tennis instructor Daniel Riggs, the 33-year-old grandson of former professional tennis superstar Bobby Riggs, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after pleading to federal charges of engaging in a sexual relationship with two minor females he coached.
“Children and parents trust coaches with more than athletic instruction. They trust them with safety, guidance, and character,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This defendant abused that trust in the most disturbing way imaginable.”
Riggs was arrested on Dec. 17, 2024, by FBI agents at the Lauderdale Tennis Club in Fort Lauderdale. Numerous armed FBI agents showed up at the tennis club at 600 Tennis Club Drive, where Riggs worked as a coach for “Team Riggs,” capitalizing on his grandfather’s name and prestige. They took him into custody while children and coaches were on the court.
Team Riggs remains in operation without Daniel Riggs’ involvement.
The incidents between Riggs and the victims included the use of the social media app Snapchat. According to saved messages on the app, Riggs exchanged salacious and sexually explicit conversations, according to court documents.
The relationship with the first victim became physical in 2022 during a team trip to Brazil, according to court documents.
Law enforcement identified several social media accounts used by Riggs through subscriber and billing records. The offense conduct occurred from approximately 2021 through Riggs’ arrest in late 2024
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Justice Department initiative designed to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.
“He admitted guilt because he didn’t want to put the victims through any additional or unnecessary hardship,” defense lawyer Russell Williams told the South Florida Sun Sentinel when Riggs pleaded guilty last November.
Riggs will be forced to register as a sex offender and, in the event of his release, will not be permitted to offer tennis lessons to minors.
Bobby Riggs, who died in 1995, was a tennis champion in the 1940s who famously challenged women’s tennis champion Billie Jean King to a “Battle of the Sexes,” insisting he could beat any woman in the sport. King won.
Rafael Olmeda can be reached at rolmeda@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4457.
O que achou dessa notícia? Deixe um comentário abaixo e/ou compartilhe em suas redes sociais. Assim conseguiremos informar mais pessoas sobre o que acontece no mundo do tênis!
Esta notícia foi originalmente publicada em:
Fonte original