DALLAS - A former coach at an elite gymnastics academy was sentenced to 15 years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.
Christopher Wagoner, 33, was accused of fondling and raping the girl in 2002 and 2003, when he was her coach. He pleaded guilty to two felony counts of sexual assault. Each charge carries a 15-year penalty, which he will serve concurrently.
The girl's family filed a lawsuit this month alleging Wagoner repeatedly assaulted the girl and encouraged her to use bulimia and cocaine to lose weight.
The lawsuit also accuses the owners of the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy - the father of national champion Nastia Liukin and the coach of Olympic gold medalist Carly Patterson - of failing to screen and supervise Wagoner. The suit does not seek a specific amount of money from owners Valeri Liukin and Yevgeny Marchenko, and does not accuse them of abuse.
Bill Boyd, the gym's attorney, has said all instructors receive a criminal background check and that the gym was not aware of any accusations until a police investigation in 2005, after Wagoner had left.
Wagoner was indicted last year after being arrested in Jacksonville, Fla., where he was working as a gymnastics instructor.
