A Texas figure skating coach who once mentored Winter Olympics gold medalist Amber Glenn has been charged with indecency with a child and sexual assault, NBC reported.
Benjamin Shroats, 47, was booked into custody in Collin County, Texas, on Wednesday, CBS Texas reported Thursday.
Shroats’ bond conditions prohibit him from coaching or teaching skating students, Fox 4 reported from court documents.
According to the station, Shroats was arrested after Allen police received a report of alleged misconduct with two of his athletes ― one of whom was a minor when that relationship began.
Shroats’ attorney told NBC the trainer “unequivocally denies the allegations against him.”
“For the past 30 years, Mr. Shroats has been a well-respected figure skating coach/instructor in the local DFW community,” Scott Edgett said in a statement. “Out of respect for the judicial process and potential future jurors, we will not be litigating this matter through media commentary.”
Texas native Glenn trained under Shroats from age 9 to at least 14, calling him her “rink dad” at the time.
“I took harness lessons from him on my double axel,” she told Figure Skaters Online in 2014. “He became a full-time part of my team when I was Novice. He’s like my rink dad or big brother, making sure I stay on track. While he can be relaxed and chilled, he can also turn up the heat when needed. I can completely rely on him to be organized and consistent.”
HuffPost has reached out to Glenn for comment.
Glenn won gold at the Milan Cortina Games in the team event and rebounded from a 13th-place finish in the short program to fifth overall after a high-scoring free skate.
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