Daniel Noble, an assistant coach for UC Davis Men’s Water Polo, was arrested Thursday, May 19, by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He is expected to be arraigned Friday, May 20, in federal court in Sacramento on charges related to child pornography.

Upon learning of his arrest yesterday, UC Davis immediately placed Noble on administrative leave. (As of Friday, May 20 he is no longer a UC Davis employee.) He has been ordered to stay away from campus. If he returns to campus, he will be arrested.

“These allegations are highly disturbing and antithetical to the values of UC Davis,” UC Davis Chancellor Gary S. May said. “We will cooperate fully with the FBI investigation. As always, the safety of our students and the broader community remain my highest concern.”

Today, under the direction of Chancellor May and Wendi Delmendo, UC Davis’ Chief Compliance Officer, UC Davis is launching an investigation into Noble’s actions. The investigation will be led by Ellen London, a former Assistant United States Attorney who specializes in complex litigation and internal investigations. The first stage of her review will be to determine the programs and activities that Noble engaged in during his tenure as an employee of the university, and whether there is information suggesting that Noble engaged in sexual misconduct associated with his coaching activities. London’s report will be published on ucdavis.edu once completed and will help inform the scope of further reviews and outreach. A swift but thorough report has been requested.

After the initial review is received, UC Davis will determine if additional review is necessary and will coordinate any additional review with law enforcement. In determining the need for further reviews, we will be guided by the importance of determining whether there are victims within our community and ensuring we provide support to affected community members.

May stated, “I am deeply concerned that individuals in our community may have been harmed. If there are victims within our community, our highest priority will be to provide support for them.”

Noble was hired by UC Davis in 2019 and his contract was due to expire on June 30 of this year.

UC Davis leaders learned about the case and imminent arrest from the FBI late on Wednesday, May 18. UC Davis is cooperating with the FBI on this case.

UC Davis places the wellbeing and health of our students first and foremost. The university encourages anyone who wants to come forward to report sexual misconduct to contact the Harassment and Discrimination Assistance and Prevention Program (HDAPP) at hdapp@ucdavis.edu. The Center for Advocacy, Resources & Education (CARE) is available to offer confidential support to any survivor of sexual violence or harassment, including survivors in the broader community who have been harmed by members of the UC Davis community.

For students who need immediate mental health support, please call Student Health and Counseling Services at 530-752-0871. Faculty and staff can reach out to the Academic and Staff Assistance Program, which serves the Davis and Sacramento campuses.

We will provide further updates as we learn them.