Nick Daddabbo, a former aquatics manager at Cornerstone Pool in West Hartford, is being investigated by police in multiple towns after the POP Squad recorded a man who appears to be him having a sexually explicit conversation and attempting to meet a person he thought was a 14-year-old boy.
By Ronni Newton
West Hartford Police said Monday that Nick Daddabbo, who appears to have been caught on video attempting to meet a person he thought was a 14-year-old boy for sexual purposes, is no longer an aquatics manager and swim coach at Cornerstone Pool.
Assistant Police Chief Robert McCue said that on Saturday morning West Hartford Police were made aware of the video that had been posted online by “Prey on Predators” – the POP Squad – a local organization that, according to its website, “strives to help protect children from online predators both by catching these predators, and also raising community awareness around the issue in hopes of toughening laws and legislation.”
McCue said that West Hartford Police do not believe that the incident for which Daddabbo is being investigated appears to be connected in any way to Cornerstone or West Hartford.
Manager Michael Kerrigan collected Daddabbo’s keys and he was separated from Cornerstone as soon as soon as the incident was brought to management’s attention, McCue said.
In a statement to the media, Kerrigan said, “As of Saturday, Aug. 4, Nick Daddabbo is no longer employed at the Cornerstone Aquatics Center. We are as shocked and troubled by the allegations as the community we serve. We have nothing further at this time.”
The nearly 13-minute video was taken Friday evening outside a location that the man, who appears to be Daddabbo and confirmed that his name is “Nick,” believed to be the home of a 14-year-old boy. He can initially be overheard speaking on the phone with a person he believed was a 14-year-old boy, confirming that it was “okay to hang out.” He had also texted with the person he thought was a 14-year-old boy regarding the activity he wanted to engage in, suggesting that he could help get the boy an “in” with a college swim coach he knew. They had previously exchanged texts for several weeks, according to the POP Squad.
The person he had been communicating with was actually a POP Squad member, who confronted him in the driveway and recorded that as well. The information was turned over to police by the POP Squad.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Daddabbo is a 2015 graduate of Central Connecticut State University. He has reportedly coached at the Middle School of Plainville, Bristol Eastern High School (girls), a high school boys co-op team in Bristol, and the Plainville and Meriden YMCA teams.
Kerrigan confirmed Tuesday that Daddabbo had been hired as the aquatics manager at Cornerstone in July 2017.
West Hartford Police are assisting other towns with the investigation, but do not believe at this time that charges will be filed in West Hartford.
[Editor’s note: The locations where Daddabbo previously worked and the date of his initial employment in West Hartford have been corrected from an earlier version of this article.]
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