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Coach faces sex-related charges
The Toronto Star
A gymnastics coach who taught at several Toronto-area clubs over the past 10 years faces sex-related charges after an undercover investigation by police.
The child exploitation section of Toronto police got a tip from Edmonton police last month about a person advertising himself online as a pedophile and gymnastics coach in Toronto, police said Thursday.
Toronto police say they used computer surveillance to find a number of websites in which the coach advertised his position as a gymnastics coach and his sexual attraction to girls between 6 and 16.
According to police, an undercover officer in Toronto, posing as an adult male, contacted him online, and through these conversations, allegedly advised the officer to commit acts on a very young child, police say.
Police searched the man's house and allegedly found child pornography images and personal items belonging to young girls inside the home.
"He had little girls' underwear and we believe these items were from the gym locations," said Det. Const. Paul Krawczyk, adding he doesn't know whether the accused made physical contact with any gym members.
"We're going to have a lot of community meetings to set up, so I can't get into any further information," the detective said.
Police have to notify the clubs and parents of gym members going back some 10 years.
None of the pornographic images involve former students, police said.
The suspect was arrested Wednesday
Police say the suspect taught gymnastics at the following locations:
Pickering Athletic Club from April to July 2006;
Toronto Gymnastics International Club from March 2006 to April 2006;
East York Gymnastics Club in Toronto from 1998 to March 2006;
Birchmount Gymnastics Centre in Toronto from September 2004 to October 2004;
Scarborough Olympians Gymnastics Club from 1996 to 1998.
Chad Meikle, 33, of Toronto, faces charges of counselling to commit an indictable offence, theft and possession of property obtained by crime.
Police say they are preparing child-pornography charges.
The article copied from Toronto Star
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