HOUSTON – Former NASA engineer Eric Sim, 39, is filing a federal lawsuit against the city of Houston, two Houston Police Department detectives and four women; accusing them of violating his constitutional rights and conspiring to cause a malicious prosecution.
Sim was arrested in February 2024, accused of sexually assaulting several women. Authorities said Sim used dating apps to communicate with multiple women at the same time and portrayed himself as someone who wanted a committed relationship before he sexually assaulted them.
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Former Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said at the time more victims could be overseas.
“His predatory behavior with the victims in these cases along with his NASA credentials frequently mentioned to gain credibility with his victims,” said Ogg in 2024.
He was set to go to trial in February 2025. But just two days before trial, under new DA Sean Teare, all his charges were dropped. Prosecutors said a majority couldn’t be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Sim’s lawsuit was filed Wednesday afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas and requests a jury trial.
Attorney Kimberly Lau is representing Sim.
“This case represents an egregious miscarriage of justice,” said Lau.
According to the complaint, Sim claims he was arrested based on invalid probable cause affidavits.
He also contends:
- Detectives ignored contradictions and inconsistencies in witness statements
- Police failed to disclose exculpatory digital evidence to prosecutors
- HPD tampered with electronic devices, resulting in deleted or altered evidence
The lawsuit names several women who accused Sim of sexual assault. Sim is suing four of them for malicious prosecution and civil conspiracy.
Sim alleges that some of the women knowingly made false statements that contributed to the criminal case against him.
We asked Sim’s attorney about this claim.
Jung: There were multiple women who made accusations against him. Is he claiming all of those women lied to police?
Lau: So for those who actually went forward and filed complaints and provided these false statements, yes.
The complaint states he has text messages which prove he engaged in consensual sexual intercourse.
Describing one of the relationships referenced in the lawsuit, Sim said a woman texted him the following day that she ‘had a great night’ after their sexual encounter.
- RELATED: Our first report on the case
In another encounter, the complaint states a woman texted ‘last night was heaven’ following a sexual encounter the previous night.
The lawsuit also points to social media activity. Sim alleges that a woman posted a TikTok video about him in May 2022. According to the complaint, other women later interacted with the post, which Sim claims contributed to the formation of a group chat, which he said was formed to “create false criminal charges against him.”
“We feel that we have very strong claims here and claims that are rooted in evidence,” said Lau.
A significant portion of the lawsuit involves video recordings retrieved from Sim’s devices.
Sim claims the footage showed consensual interactions and alleges the evidence was mishandled or not timely shared with prosecutors.
The complaint states that all pending criminal charges against Sim were dismissed in 2025. The lawsuit characterizes the prosecution as wrongful and alleges significant personal and financial harm.
Sim is seeking damages including:
- Reputational harm
- Emotional distress
- Past and future economic losses
- Loss of career opportunities
- Attorneys’ fees and costs
- Punitive damages (on certain claims)
The lawsuit references Sim’s former employment with NASA, stating he was suspended and ultimately forced to resign as a result of the criminal charges.
KPRC 2 obtained a statement from Eric Sim:
“The last few years of my life have been scarred by a justice department that was meant to protect me being turned against me. I look forward to justice being served for all.”
KPRC 2 reached out to the City of Houston and is waiting on a response.