Morgan Hill gym owner accused of sex assault out on bail

MORGAN HILL, Calif. (KGO) -- A 49-year-old fitness trainer in Morgan Hill is out on bail after his arrest for sexual assault on five female clients, two of which are teenagers. This isn't the first time suspicions have arising about the gym owner. Complaints about David Wolfsmith go back three years.

Some of these new details may be disturbing because two sources say Wolfsmith had cult-like control over the women he trained. It's alleged he touched them after he had them take off their clothes.

The second floor studio is where people trained for triathlons and endurance races. While named the Wolfpak, sources say it was dubbed "the cult" because the owner had such a grip on clients that it led to intimate touching.

"They were so focused that it allowed them to almost be in a trance, and these sexual batteries occurred against them, and they felt powerless to say anything at the time of the incident," said Morgan Hill Police Sgt. Carson Thomas.

Police say victims so far include two teenagers and three adults, all female. The oldest is in her 50s. After Wolfsmith was arrested three more women have stepped forward, two of them potential victims.

"For some of these women, this is the first disclosure they gave was to the detective," said Thomas. "They hadn't spoken with their significant other, either boyfriend or husband or partner, and so bringing it to light now has been a difficult process for them."

A cyclist spoke to ABC7 News but would not allow us to show his face or use his name. He knows Wolfsmith and several past clients.

"I've been told by several people, ladies that I know who don't want to come forward now that this has come out," he said. "They think it'll wreck their marriages. He's been completely unprofessional."

Wolfsmith and his wife live on a quiet street in Morgan Hill. A neighbor says they wave when coming and going. Although police say two victims were underage, neighbor Larry Boushey says he doesn't fear for his kids.

"I keep my kids under close watch, which i think every parent should," he said. "So it doesn't worry me."

Wolfsmith has bailed out of county jail.

He is a former coach at Sobrato High School, but police don't know of any victims there.