Arabic version: تغريم مدرب جمباز بسبب اعتداءات على رياضيات مراهقات

According to ABC News, gymnastics coach Jamie Glen Cannon has been fined $2,500 after pleading guilty to four common-assault charges involving two female teenage athletes. No conviction was recorded, and he was ordered to pay each teenager $1,000 in compensation.

Cannon, 49, was sentenced in Maroochydore District Court last week over incidents at a Sunshine Coast club in 2022 and 2023, when he was a senior coach. The athletes were aged between 13 and 16 and were under his supervision.

One charge concerned Cannon smacking the bottom of a 13-year-old while she performed handstands with other gymnasts. The remaining charges involved a 15-year-old athlete, including touching and rubbing her inner thigh, placing a hand on her knee, and rubbing her thighs while she attempted to move away. The court accepted there was no sexual intent.

Crown prosecutor Alex Stark described the conduct as a breach of professional and personal trust. A victim impact statement from the 15-year-old said the offending led to her quitting gymnastics and affected her sleep, friendships and relationships.

Judge Amanda McDonnell said Cannon had treated the girls in a way they did not wish to be touched. Cannon submitted a written apology and offered the compensation. The court heard he has not been involved in the sport since being charged.