LEWISTON — A local man who has accused a former Syracuse University basketball coach of sexual assault and has himself been charged with sex offenses was charged with violating bail conditions Tuesday afternoon.

Lewiston police arrested Zachary Tomaselli, 23, a day after receiving a tip that he had given a ride to a minor in his car in violation of his conditions of release.

According to his bail conditions, Tomaselli cannot have contact with anyone under 18, except for incidental contact at work, Lewiston police Lt. Adam Higgins said Tuesday evening.

Police believe Tomaselli gave a ride Monday to the minor and an adult friend, Higgins said. Police followed up a tip left by a caller and arrested Tomaselli at 4:51 p.m. Tuesday, Higgins said. Police declined to give further details Tuesday evening.

Tomaselli remained in custody at the Androscoggin County Jail at 10 p.m. Tuesday.

Tomaselli is already working on a plea agreement with the Androscoggin County district attorney for four felony and seven misdemeanor charges, including gross sexual assault, tampering with a victim and two counts of unlawful sexual contact. The victim, whom Tomaselli met at a camp where he worked as a counselor in 2009, was under 14 years old when the assaults occurred, investigators said.

While Tomaselli at first pleaded not guilty, he has since said publicly that most of the charges are true. Tomaselli wrote on Facebook that he’s looking to “find strength to get through this” as plea negotiations continue, according to an Associated Press article published Tuesday.

Tomaselli told the Syracuse school newspaper, The Daily Orange, that he expects to spend two years behind bars. “I’m officially going to be going to prison and that was a very shocking moment,” The Daily Orange quoted Tomaselli on Monday.

Tomaselli has accused former Syracuse University assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine of molesting him in 2002, when Tomaselli was 13 years old. A Syracuse prosecutor has voiced skepticism of Tomaselli’s accusations against Fine, but that did not stop Tomaselli from filing a lawsuit against the former assistant coach on Dec. 7.

Tomaselli’s remarks on Facebook and to the Daily Orange were made before he was placed under a gag order, the Associated Press reported.

Fine has been fired since Tomaselli and two others went public with their accusations against him in November.

acullen@sunjournal.com

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