High School Coach Allegedly Told Teen Raped in Her Hotel Room 'It Will Go Away' Because She Didn't Want to Lose Job
A coach at Kutztown Area High School in Pennsylvania could soon find herself out of a job after it was revealed that she attempted to cover up the rape of a 16-year-old girl left in her care because she was afraid of losing her job over the crime.
Coach Alicia Colon, 25, was reportedly asleep while one of three men she had invited into her hotel room raped the 16-year-old girl on Aug. 4, according to a 69 News report. When she woke up and learned what had happened, however, she told the girl to forget about what happened and "it will go away," according to court documents.
The teen, according to the report, had followed Colon to the Keystone State Games near Harrisburg, Pa., to watch her athlete sister participate in an event. Colon is her sister's coach. Her parents had also given them permission to have a "girl's night" out with two others at the end of the event.
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"She was in town to watch her sister play in the Keystone Games, then she was given permission to stay overnight," said Det. Ryan Gartland of the Lower Swatara Township Police Department.
Things took a nightmarish turn, however, when Colon decided to invite three men back to the hotel room she shared with the teen who reported that she immediately felt uncomfortable.
The teen explained that she was asleep on the floor of the room when one of the men, Rafael Gomez-Echavarria, 23, of Reading, Pa., started kissing her neck and she told him to stop five times. According to police he complied and she went to sleep.
Later, however, she was awakened by Echavarria touching her "private area" and she was forced to have sex with him. She said she didn't scream because she was scared.
When he was done with the teen, Echavarria told her it was "our little secret" and went back to sleep.
"The victim had sent a text message right after it happened to the coach and in the morning, whenever the coach got the text message, she made an attempt to cover it up," said Gartland.
Police said Colon told them that as soon as she learned what happened she "immediately flipped out on the three males."
She later admitted to investigators that she told the girl to forget about it and didn't call the police right away because she was worried about her son and losing her job.
The teen reportedly kept quiet about the rape until October when she told her mother what happened.
Colon, who is expected to turn herself in this week, has been charged with hindering apprehension, endangering the welfare of children and corruption of minors. Ecchavarria is already in Berks County Jail for violating his probation. He was charged with multiple offenses, including rape, sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault and unlawful contact with a minor.
