Marvin Sharp, Gymnastics Coach, Facing Child Porn And Molestation Charges, Found Dead In Jail Cell
Marvin Sharp, a former gymnastics coach who was facing multiple charges of child pornography and sexual abuse of children, was found dead in his jail cell Saturday, MSN is reporting. Sharp’s death is being treated as a suicide.
Gymnastics coach accused of child molestation found dead in his jail cell on Saturday night. http://t.co/SopXZ9vIcm pic.twitter.com/CfpKFvYqcD
— WTHR.com (@WTHRcom) September 20, 2015
Sharp, who ran a gymnastics and photography studio in Indianapolis, had coached Bridget Sloan and Samantha Peszek, both silver medalists at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, before they joined the team. He had also been named USA Gymnastics Coach of the Year in 2010.
On August 24, Indianapolis police arrested Sharp and charged him with four counts of child molestation and three counts of sexual misconduct with a minor. Sharp was accused of repeatedly fondling, touching, and photographing at least one girl — one of his gymnastics students — from the time she was 12-years-old until she was 14. In the criminal indictment against Sharp, the girl alleged that Sharp would “adjust her underwear” during photo sessions. In another session, Sharp made the girl wear a strait jacket. In yet another, Sharp told her to pose “provocatively.” The girl said that she feared that Sharp would kick her out of his gymnastics school, or even hurt her, if she didn’t do as he told her.
Marvin Sharp Was My Gymnastics Coach http://t.co/4xtgUTXfSX
— Nancy (@glamormommy) September 22, 2015
On September 14, a federal indictment was handed down against Sharp, charging Sharp with nine counts of producing child pornography. Prosecutors allege Sharp had been producing child pornography with his gymnastics students — girls as young as 6- or 7-years-old — since 2002. In an affidavit, Detective Darin Odler said that Sharp used his status as coach to lure young girls into his “photo shoots.”
“These minor girls have been identified as former gymnasts that trained at Sharp’s gym and participated in photo shoots with Marvin Sharp.”
When authorities searched Sharp’s gymnastics studio and his home, they found “thousands” of images of child pornography, according to WXIN (Indianapolis), stored in safes and lockers.
At about 8:17 p.m. on Sunday evening, Sharp was found unresponsive in his jail cell. Sheriff’s spokeswoman Katie Carlson said that foul play was not suspected, but that Sharp’s death will be investigated.
“A follow up investigation is being conducted by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the Marion County Coroner’s Office.”
Marvin Sharp was 49 at the time of his death.
[Image courtesy of: Marion County Sheriff’s Office via WXIN]
