PARK CITY, Utah – The case against Park City tennis teacher Bogdan Badiu was dismissed with prejudice during a conference in Third District Court on Friday, November 8.
In July, Bogdan Badiu, 58, was arrested and charged with ten counts of sexual exploitation of a minor after police found explicit photos of young girls on his phone and computer.
Judge Richard Mrazik determined that the content on Badiu’s phone was not pornographic and the case was closed with prejudice, meaning the case cannot be refiled or taken to trial.
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Badiu’s attorney, Cliff Venable, said the filing of the charges turned Badiu’s life upside down.
“He lost his job, suffered irreparable damage to his reputation in the community and was prohibited from speaking to his daughter for more than three months while the case was pending,” Venable said in an email to TownLift.
The state also declined to file charges against a Kansas woman. In July, court officials confirmed Badiu’s involvement in a separate investigation involving a Kansas woman who alleged Badiu sexually assaulted her in June at his Deer Valley home. Park City police seized Badiu’s phone after a search warrant was granted for the phone in connection with the sexual assault case. Officers said that’s when the suspected content involving children was discovered.
“Ultimately, Mr. Badiu did nothing illegal. He is a good person with a passion for tennis and who cares deeply about his daughter,” said Venable.
After the ruling, the court returned Badiu’s passport and removed the ankle monitoring device he was forced to wear.