Former Olympic Swim Coach Pleads Guilty to Sex Abuse

A man who was once the most prominent swimming coach in the DC area has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a swimmer thirty years ago.

Rick Curl, founder of an elite competitive swimming organization that once carried his name, left the Montgomery County Courthouse with prominent criminal defense attorney Bruce Marcus, reports News4's Jackie Bensen.

His former protege, Kelly Davis - now in her 40s and known as Kelly Currin - listened in court Thursday as Curl pleaded guilty to sexually abusing her beginning when she was 13 years old, until she was 18.

Currin said she would not comment until Curl's sentencing in May.

In a 2012 interview with News4, Currin described her decision to violate a financial settlement and  confidentiality agreement brokered with Curl by her family when she was just 18. Though in many cases media outlets do not name the victims of sexual assault, Currin has been outspoken about about her case. 

Curl could face 15 years in prison, and prosecutors say the guilty plea requires Curl to register as a sex offender.

Curl co-founded the Curl-Burke Swim Club, which has multiple locations in Northern Virginia and trained thousands of swimmers.

Curl himself coached Olympian Tom Dolan, who medaled in the 1996 and 2000 Olympics.

Curl was banned from the sport for life by USA Swimming in September. Since the claims were revealed in a story in the Washington Post, the club has been bought by new owners; it now operates as the Nation’s Capital Swim Club.

Curl remains free on a $50,000 bond until his sentencing in May. He faces a maximum of 15 years in prison.
 

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