The grandson of tennis legend Bobby Riggs was arrested Tuesday at the Lauderdale Tennis Club and charged with enticement of a minor and child pornography production, according to Local10.com.
Daniel James Riggs, 31, had his initial appearance in court Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., per a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
The DOJ notes that social media “records” indicate there could be more than one victim.
Riggs met the minor in 2020 when she was 15 and served as her tennis coach, and he allegedly began sexually abusing his pupil in 2021 and lasted for almost three years, per Local 10.
The DOJ alleges Riggs sexually abused the minor while they traveled internationally and domestically for training and tournaments, and the “abuse continued locally within the Southern District of Florida.”
Riggs allegedly requested child sexual abuse material via Snapchat, per Local 10, and also allegedly had sexual conversations with the minor through a social media application.
He is further accused of creating several anonymous profiles and allegedly advising the minor to eliminate their communications.
“On another occasion in Brazil, Minor Victim 1 went to RIGGS’ room. There, RIGGS informed Minor Victim 1 that he felt they should not do this anymore (referring to engaging in sexual acts) because of the potential repercussions,” the criminal complaint states, according to Local 10.
Riggs’ pretrial detention hearing is set for Dec. 23 at 11 a.m. ET, and the case was investigated by FBI Miami and the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
A pair of collegiate profiles belonging to Riggs from his time with Cornell and Lynn both list him as the “grandson of former world champion Bobby Riggs” and hailing from Pompano Beach, Fla.
Bobby is most famously remembered for losing to Billie Jean King in the 1973 “Battle of the Sexes.”
He won Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 1939 and also conquered the U.S. Open in 1941.
Bobby died at the age of 77 in 1995.
