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Former NASA engineer files federal lawsuit against City of Houston
A former NASA employee, who was charged with sexually assaulting multiple women and later had those charges dismissed, is now suing the city of Houston. He claims his constitutional rights were violated. FOX 26's Karys Belger has more on the lawsuit.
HOUSTON - A former NASA employee has filed a sweeping federal lawsuit against the City of Houston, two police detectives, and several women, alleging he was the victim of a coordinated "smear campaign" that led to his false arrest and the destruction of his career.
Former NASA employee sues City of Houston, accusers
The 57-page complaint, filed Tuesday in the Southern District of Texas, paints a picture of a year-long "abuse of the criminal justice system" driven by a group of women who allegedly sought revenge after a series of casual dating relationships ended.
Allegations of a "Ring Leader" and Group Chat Conspiracy
The plaintiff, Eric Sim, alleges that the campaign began in May 2022 after one woman discovered Sim was dating multiple women simultaneously. According to the filing, the woman became the "self-proclaimed ring leader," organizing a group chat with other women Sim had dated to "secure false criminal charges" against him.
Eric Sim
The lawsuit claims that three other women conspired with the "ring leader" to report consensual sexual encounters as assaults to the Houston Police Department. Sim contends that the women "weaponized" the system because they were "embarrassed" he was not interested in monogamous relationships.
Police misconduct and withheld evidence
At the heart of Sim’s legal action is the conduct of two Houston Police Department detectives. The lawsuit accuses the detectives of:
- Fabricating Probable Cause: Preparing affidavits for arrest warrants based on "incredulous and fanciful stories" while ignoring glaring inconsistencies in the accusers' statements.
- Withholding Exonerating Evidence: Failing to provide the Harris County District Attorney’s Office with text messages, photos, and videos from Sim’s electronic devices that allegedly proved the encounters were consensual.
- Tampering with Evidence: Sim alleges that after HPD seized his devices, digital copies returned to him showed that "exonerating evidence was deleted," including a video of a consensual encounter.
The complaint details an interview with one accuser who reportedly told one detective she had "removed [her] memory" of the encounter and laughed several times while describing the alleged assault. Despite these red flags, the lawsuit states, the detectives moved forward with the charges.
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A career extinguished
Sim was arrested in February 2024 and faced multiple charges of sexual assault. He was held on a bond that reached as high as $1 million and was subjected to 24/7 house arrest with GPS monitoring.
Sim, who was employed at NASA, was suspended without pay and ultimately "forced to resign" due to the pending charges. While all charges were eventually dismissed on February 25, 2025, for "lack of proof," the lawsuit claims Sim's reputation is "tarnished" and his future career prospects are "completely extinguished".
What they're saying:
On Wednesday night, FOX 26 received a statement from Sim saying, "The last few years of my life have been scarred by a justice department that was meant to protect me being turned against me. I look forward to justice being served for all."
FOX 26 has reached out to the Houston Police Department who referred us to the city of Houston’s legal department. We have also reached out to the City of Houston.
The Source: Court documents, a statement from Eric Sim.