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INDIANAPOLIS -- A one-time US Women's Olympic coach who owns a gymnastics academy in Indianapolis is facing several felony charges relating to sexual misconduct with children.
Marvin Sharp, 48, is charged with four counts of child molesting, three counts of sexual misconduct with a minor and knowing possession of child pornography. The Marion County Prosecutor's Office says the crimes took place beginning in May 2013 and up until May 2015, at times with victims younger than 14.
Sharp, the owner of Sharp's Gymnastics Academy, was taken into custody Sunday night.
Neighbors said nearly two dozen plain-clothes officers and at least one K-9 were at Sharp's home for eight hours over the weekend, removing laptops and other items.
The Marion County Prosecutor's Office says they found thousands of sexually explicit images of minors in a safe at Sharp's home and in a file cabinet at his gym. The prosecutor's office says the images depicted both minor boys and girls in sexually explicit poses.
According to the probable cause affidavit filed in Marion County Superior Court, Sharp is accused of taking inappropriate photographs and inappropriately touching a girl on many occasions while he was her gymnastics coach.
The girl said Sharp frequently told her not to tell her parents about the photo shoots and physical therapy sessions where the inappropriate touching occurred. The alleged acts took place at Sharp’s Gymnastics Academy, located at 8070 Georgetown Road in Indianapolis, as well as during an out-of-state trip that the victim and Sharp took together for a gymnastics competition.
Sharp's initial court hearing is scheduled for Thursday at 1 p.m.
He had been under investigation by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Indiana State Police and the US Department of Justice.
He opened the gymnastics academy in 2001, training gymnasts from preschool to adults.
According to the academy's website, Sharp was the 2009 US Olympic Committee Gymnastics Coach of the Year. He was a member of the 2008 women's Olympic gymnastics team.
Sharp also served as personal coach to Olympic gymnasts Bridget Sloan and Samantha Peszek.
An employee at Sharp's said Tuesday that classes have gone on as scheduled, and that they've been provided no information.
A local woman who enrolled her great nieces at Sharp's Gymnastic Academy said Sharp's reputation as an Olympic-level coach is what drew her to the gym.
"I picked the gym because he had coached previous Olympians, and my niece said her dream one day was to go to the Olympics," said the woman, who asked us not to identify her, to protect her nieces.
Sharp's website says he "wanted to open a gym where athletes could train at all levels (preschool to Elite), in a POSITIVE and FUN training environment. "Training children is our business, and our people (coaches) are our most important asset." (something that had become a long forgotten ideal)"
USA Gymnastics released the following statement concerning the allegations:
USA Gymnastics is cooperating with law enforcement’s active investigation concerning Marvin Sharp. USA Gymnastics promotes a safe environment for its athletes and takes seriously any allegations regarding misconduct.
Anyone with information concerning additional potential victims is encouraged to call and report to 1-877-ISP-1TIP (1-877-477-1847). Messages left at this hotline will be directed to investigating officers.
This is the second recent high-profile local resident arrested in connection to child porn and improper behavior with minors. Former Subway spokesman Jared Fogle admitted in a plea deal to paying for sex with a minor and possessing child pornography.
READ MORE | What Jared Fogle admitted to
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