Farmington Man Accuses Ex-Swim Coach of Sex Abuse

A 41-year-old Farmington man is accusing his former swim coach at the YWCA in New Britain of sexually abusing him between 1979 and 1982, according to the man’s lawyer.

The man, called John Doe in a lawsuit he intends to file against the swim coach, Donald Daniels, and the YWCA, claims Daniels molested him and other members of the swim team and forced him to commit sex acts in the showers and on camping trips the boys took with Daniels.

"John Doe" claims Daniels took photos and videos of the boys wrestling and sometimes made Daniels sleep in his bed. The man says he was intimidated into staying quiet and that the abuse continued for three years until his mother became suspicious of Daniels and moved away from the area.

According to Kevin C. Ferry, the New Britain attorney representing the accuser, Daniels paid for several boys’ memberships at the YWCA and would prey on boys from single-parent homes.

The statute of limitations has expired to file criminal charges, so the man intends to file a civil suit to prevent more children from being victimized, Ferry said.

In a press release, “John Doe” claims he notified police about the alleged abuse in 1995 after he ran into Daniels in a convenience store surrounded by a crowd of boys, but has gotten no response from authorities.

“I’ve also called the Department of Children and Families more than once but nothing has been done! It scares the hell out of me to think that this guy is still out there with kids. I don’t care if I get a dime, I just want this guy stopped!” he said.

A YWCA spokesperson said the organization can find no record of Daniels ever working there, according to a New Britain Herald article.

On Wednesday, former television reporter and publicist Shelly Sindland sent out a press release and photos of Ferry and "John Doe" to dozens of media outlets, announcing the allegations and planned lawsuit and offering 15-minute interviews with the pair.

"HEY all. Time slots are filling up! Please book your interview ASAP. I want to make sure the local stations get first dibs," the email said.