A 29-year-old Falls Church tennis coach was arrested Monday and accused of having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a student at George Mason High School, Fairfax County police said.
Rafael “Rally” Diokno faces three felony charges of taking indecent liberties of a child.
According to a news release, Diokno was a seasonal contract employee with Falls Church City Public Schools.
Fairfax County police said they started their investigation June 16.
According to authorities, Diokno’s unlawful conduct began in May and the incidents happened throughout Fairfax County.
He is being held at the county’s adult detention center without bond.
FCCPS’ full statement is below:
On June 3, 2021, in accordance with state law, Falls Church City Public Schools contacted Falls Church City Police and Child Protective Services (CPS) immediately after receiving an allegation of potentially inappropriate conduct by a coach toward a student-athlete. As a result, the coach was immediately relieved of his coaching duties. This action enabled FCCPS to ensure the safety of its students while completing its investigation.
On June 21, Mr. Rafael “Rally” Diokno was arrested by the Fairfax County Police Department Major Crimes Bureau on a charge of “taking indecent liberties with a child by a custodian.” As a result of FCCPS’ previous action, the former coach no longer had access to the school or its students at the time of and leading up to the arrest.
FCCPS is committed to supporting the student and family involved and all of its students and staff members. At the same time, we want to ensure and respect the privacy of those involved. As the police and CPS investigation continues, we must be alert to the possibility of additional potential victims. It is crucial that individuals feel comfortable and supported in coming forward if they have additional information or concerns.
Regarding Mr. Diokno – as this matter is an ongoing criminal and CPS investigation –
FCCPS cannot comment further on the case’s specifics. Nor will we comment on personnel matters beyond the following basic factual information:
Falls Church City Public Schools has been fully cooperating with the Police and CPS during the investigation before the arrest and will continue to do so as their investigations continue.
FCCPS hired Mr. Diokno in February of 2016 as a seasonal Tennis Coach, and as such, was not a member of the FCCPS instructional staff. However, FCCPS followed its procedures for hiring. These include fingerprinting and background checks with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Virginia State Police, Child Protective Services, and reference checks. Mr. Diokno was terminated from his position as Tennis Coach on June 4, 2021.
Detectives are asking anyone who has information about this investigation or may have had inappropriate contact with Diokno to contact detectives at 703-246-7800, option 3.
Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by calling 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477), by texting “FCCS” plus your tip to 847411 and online. Anonymous tipsters are eligible for cash rewards of $100 to $1,000 if their information leads to an arrest.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect that Diokno was specifically a coach.
