Nick Philipoussis, father of Australia's Mark Philipoussis, in 2004. Photo / AAP file
Nick Philipoussis, father of Australia's Mark Philipoussis, in 2004. Photo / AAP file
By Peter Mitchell
Tennis coach Nick Philippoussis was arrested in a surprise morning raid at his southern Californian home by San Diego sheriffs responding to allegations he molested two children.
The 68-year-old father of Australian Davis Cup champion Mark Philippoussis is accused of committing multiple counts of lewd and lascivious acts on the minors.
"He didn't know we were coming," Lieutenant Greg Rylaarsdam from the San Diego Sheriff's Department told AAP of the arrest at his Mira Mesa home today.
A search warrant was executed on the property but authorities declined to say if computers or other property were seized.
The alleged victims were aged under 14, but Rylaarsdam would not say how young they were or if they were boys or girls.
One charge, sexual intercourse or sodomy, usually relates to a child aged 10 years or younger. Another count was for oral copulation.
Nick Philippoussis worked as a personal tennis coach in neighbourhoods north of San Diego and detectives haven't ruled out the possibility of more alleged victims.
They have encouraged anyone with information related to the investigation to call the San Diego Sheriff's Department.
"In this particular case we are in the infancy of the investigation," Rylaarsdam said.
"On a lot of cases we go all the way to the end and get all of our facts in order and all of the evidence lined up and then we go out and arrest somebody.
"But in a case like this where there is the potential of ongoing victimisation we developed probable cause and went out and arrested him when we had that.
"Our investigation is ongoing from today. We have done an investigation up until now which leads us to believe that this did in fact occur and we arrested him and essentially took him out of the population."
The detectives stressed there was no evidence "whatsoever" that 40-year-old Mark Philippoussis, a two-time member of the winning Australian Davis Cup team, Wimbledon finalist and former top 10 player, was in anyway involved.
There were also no apparent links to potential victims in Australia.
The detectives stressed there was no evidence "whatsoever" that Mark Philippoussis, 40, was in anyway involved. Photo / AAP file
"The reason we are publicising this is not because he is Mark's father, but because if there are people out there that have information on this case we would sure like to talk to them," Rylaarsdam said.
"It is important people know there is nothing in our investigation that leads us to believe that Mark Philippoussis is involved in this whatsoever."
Nick Philippoussis is being held in San Diego Central Jail on US$2.5 million bail. Under California laws he needs that much to be bailed out and if he makes all of his court appearances until his case is concluded he will get the money back.
