A Wahiawa man convicted of sexually molesting boys he coached on his soccer teams is out of prison and again involved in a youth soccer league.
Frederick Rames, 71, a longtime coach and organizer in the Wahiawa soccer community, pleaded no contest in 2007 and was found guilty of third-degree sexual assault of six boys.
He did not get paroled during his five-year sentence, instead serving the full term. He was released in October.
Since getting out, Rames has become involved with the Wahiawa Soccer Club, which held indoor soccer matches at the city’s Whitmore Community Park gym in February and March involving about 45 to 50 elementary schoolchildren.
The club is planning a fall season.
Rames told the Star-Advertiser on Thursday that he is not coaching, is not involved with the players and is only helping run the indoor league.
He said he doesn’t disclose his past convictions unless asked. Because of the news coverage of his case, "everybody knew about it anyway," he said.
But Tommy Johnson, Hawaii Paroling Authority administrator, said if Rames was a parolee he would not be allowed to be involved with the league.
"His sex crimes were against minors, and if minors are the triggers for deviant behavior, we wouldn’t allow him around minors," Johnson said.
Because he served his full sentence, he is not under supervision by anyone and doesn’t fall under any restrictions, Johnson said.
Rames, who is on Hawaii’s sex offender registry, said registry rules prohibit him from being with minors unless an adult is present.
But Dave Koga, spokesman for the city prosecutor’s office, said the registry does not impose any restrictions on a sex offender’s activities, including being with children.
"We are definitely concerned that he is engaging in high-risk behavior by again associating with a youth soccer league," said Deputy Prosecutor Katherine Kealoha, head of the office’s sex assault unit. "In addition, we are also concerned as to whether all of the parents of the children within the youth soccer league are aware of his status as a convicted sex offender."
Rames was a soccer coach who had been involved in a Wahiawa youth soccer league for 22 years.
The six boys he was charged with molesting includedfive who were on soccer teams he coached and one of his foster kids.
The sex assaults occurred from 2002 to 2006. The boys were 6 to 12 years old.
Some in the community came out in support of Rames after his arrest, saying they felt he was victimized by overzealous police and prosecutors.
But just before opening statements in his trial, Rames agreed to plead no contest to third-degree sex assault charges, which each carry a maximum five-year prison term.
As part of a plea agreement, city prosecutors dropped two first-degree sex assault charges, which each carried a mandatory 20-year maximum prison term.
Toni Schwartz, the Department of Public Safety’s public information officer, said Rames was released before completing the sex offender treatment program in prison. Under state law, prisoners cannot be kept beyond their terms even if they have not completed their prison programs.
The Star-Advertiser obtained copies of emails from Rames sent to a parent who had a child in Rames’ soccer league before his arrest.
In the email dated Oct. 16, Rames said he had just gotten out of prison and was saddened that the soccer programs did not continue. He said he couldn’t be a coach, but was "willing to start them back up if there is enough interest, and if we can get gyms."
The program would be run under the Wahiawa Soccer Club, he wrote.
He also thanked those who supported him, and took issue with an earlier assertion that he gave herpes to one of the boys. Rames said he doesn’t have the disease.
He reluctantly went along with the plea agreement because if convicted at trial, he could "die in jail," he said.
The Wahiawa Soccer Club is run by Jed Tom, a Wahiawa resident and Rames’ longtime friend.
Tom said he is in charge of the program and Rames assists him, but is not involved with the kids, mostly between the ages of 5 and 8.
Rames officiated one match when the regular official wasn’t available, Tom said.
Tom said there haven’t been any problems with Rames helping with the league.
Rames acknowledged officiating, but noted that the gym was full of the children’s parents.
Tom said they did not disclose Rames’ role in the club or his criminal background.
"We didn’t come out and tell everybody," he said. "That’s not the purpose."
He said Rames still has support in the community.
"We felt he was innocent," Tom said.
Tom said they are preparing for another season this fall.
The Wahiawa Soccer Club obtained permission to use the Whitmore gym for matches from Feb. 4 to March 24.
Cheryl Ito, director of Whitmore Community Park, said she’s seen Rames and knows that he was not a coach during the matches.
