Charges dismissed against Park City tennis instructor accused of sexual exploitation of a minor

Photo: TownLift

The now dismissed charges upended Badiu’s life. 'He lost his job, suffered irreparable harm to his reputation in the community, and wasn't allowed to speak to his daughter for over 3 months while the case was pending'

PARK CITY, Utah – The case against Park City tennis instructor Bogdan Badiu was dismissed with prejudice during a conference at the Third District Court on Friday, Nov. 8.

In July, Bogdan Badiu, 58, was arrested and charged with ten counts of sexual exploitation of a minor after police found explicit photos on his phone and computer of young girls.

Judge Richard Mrazik determined that the content on Badiu’s phone was not pornographic and the case was closed with prejudice, which means it cannot be filed or brought to court again.

Badiu’s lawyer, Cliff Venable, said the filing of the charges upended Badiu’s life.

“He lost his job, suffered irreparable harm to his reputation in the community, and wasn’t allowed to speak to his daughter for over 3 months while the case was pending,” Venable said in an email to TownLift.

The State also declined to file charges concerning a woman from Kansas. In July, court officials confirmed Badiu’s involvement in a separate investigation involving a Kansas woman who claimed Badiu sexually assaulted her at his home in Deer Valley in June. Park City Police seized Badiu’s phone after being granted a search warrant for the phone related to the sexual assault case. Officers said that is when the suspected content involving children was discovered.

“Ultimately, Mr. Badiu did nothing illegal. He is a good person who is passionate about tennis and cares deeply for his daughter,” Venable said.

After the ruling, the court returned Badiu’s passport, and the ankle monitoring device he had been required to wear was removed.