Houston NFL-player trainer sentenced for child sex assault; Victim's family speaks
NFL star trainer sentenced to 25 years
An NFL star trainer now sentenced to 25 years behind bars for two child sexual assault charges. And he's worked with some big names in the NFL.
HOUSTON - An NFL trainer who worked with big names such as Tank Dell, was found guilty of two charges of sexual assault of a child.
NFL Trainer convicted: Delfonte Diamond found guilty of sexual assault of a child
The Conviction
What we know:
Delfonte Diamond was found guilty of two charges of sexual assault of a child in Houston last week and the victim's family spoke exclusively with FOX 26 about the case.
Delfonte Diamond, 34, was facing two charges: aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14 years of age and sexual assault of a child under 17 years of age. The incidents dated back to 2019 and 2020.
A jury found him guilty on both charges. He was sentenced to 25 years for one charge and 20 years for the other, but the sentences will be served concurrently.
Who is Delfonte Diamond?
Dig deeper:
Diamond has worked with big names in the NFL such as Tank Dell, Sequon Barkley, and Ceedee Lamb, according to our previous reports.
In a statement posted to Instagram, Rischad Whitfield, "The Footwork King" confirmed that Diamond was a trainer at his facility and worked with athletes across all ages.
"I want to take this moment to pubically and unequivocally denounce the horrific crimes committed by Delfonte Diamond," the post reads.
The post goes on to say he's never received any complaints from athletes, parents or coaches about Diamond and that his heart breaks for the [victim] and their family.
The Abuse
The backstory:
Kimberly Brice-Davis and Stephen Davis say their daughter is the one who was victimized by Diamond. They say though two counts are filed, both involve one victim and no others at this time.
They say Diamond was married into the family, and they trusted him like family.
When their daughter came forward about the abuse in 2022, they say they were shattered.
"It was heartbreaking, especially because he was supposed to be family. He was married to my niece. It was heartbreaking, rage, anger all at one," said Kimberly.
They say the abuse began in 2019 when their daughter was only 13-years-old.
"It started with her joining her prayer line; she joined his prayer line. She came out with some things that she did, and he held it over her head and used it for blackmail," she said. "He would go up to the high school and pull her out of class. It's not on any of our paperwork."
"It had me in a dark place, a very dark place," added Stephen.
They say once they went to police, Diamond blocked them and seemed to disappear.
"We didn't see him again until it was the first court date," said Kimberly.
She said the three years of court proceedings were traumatic for the entire family, especially their daughter.
"She would have breakdowns at school, be in her room, didn't want to socialize, very withdrawn," said Kimberly.
The couple says they feel justice has been served, but they want other parents to be aware of warning signs and pay attention if their children are acting out.
"When she turned 13, we thought she was just acting out because she was a teenager, but I missed all of the signs," said Kimberly.
These parents say they feel Diamond hid behind his status and influence.
"Everyone knows this godly [man], the trainer, but what about the real person he is deep down inside? He's a wolf in sheep's clothing," she said. "And I feel like there's more victims. And I feel like they should come forward, go tell them."
The Appeal
The backstory:
Records show that Diamond is appealing both convictions. His bond has been denied while appealing. FOX 26 reached out to his appellant defense, but have not heard back.
The Source: Harris County court documents, Parents of Victim, FOX 26 reporting