A former youth resource specialist with the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada (The Center) has been arrested and charged with sex-related offenses. Hector D. Esparza, 40, was charged with three counts of sexual assault and eight counts of open or gross lewdness. Also known as Hektor Esparza, the Las Vegas community organizer worked with at-risk youth.

The criminal complaint against Esparza was filed on April 8. According to his arrest report, Metro Police had been contacted on March 19 with allegations that Esparza had, over a period of four to five years, sexually assaulted a juvenile family member. Police then arrested him on April 6 and have since held him at the Clark County Detention Center without bail.

On April 11, Esparza appeared in court for an arraignment hearing. He pled not guilty. A preliminary hearing in this case is set for April 25.

Esparza served as The Center’s youth resource specialist in 2014 and 2015, during which time he conducted outreach and implemented events and programs for LGBT youth.

According to the Las Vegas Sun, Center CEO Michael Dimengo had this to say of the charges: “All I can say is, I’m surprised.”

Caitlyn Caruso, director at UNLV Spectrum, a student run organization dedicated to the LGBT community and its allies, has since said the following in response:

"I wonder why The Center is surprised when multiple youth (including myself) came forward with complaints of sexual harassment and emotional abuse at the hands of Hektor Esparza, previous youth specialist, and were ignored."

"I expect a better statement in the coming days from CEO Michael Dimengo."

UPDATE:

On April 13, Dimengo released the following statement:

“Yesterday, we learned of the media reports about Hektor Esparza, a former employee of The Center. We find the news tragic and most regrettable inasmuch as a well-defined part of our mission here at The Center is for the protection, care, and nurturing of all youth, most particularly, LGBTQ youth. However, as his former employer, we are legally obligated to refrain from making any comments about his employment at The Center.

The Center takes its responsibilities as an employer very seriously. As a measure of that care and protection and as standard operating procedure for all personnel, all those who are either employed at The Center or who volunteer at The Center are administered a thorough background check before employment or any volunteer activity commences.”

Las Vegas Sun Article