Updated May 24
ROCKVILLE, Maryland, May 23. RICK Curl was sentenced to seven years of jail time after pleading guilty to charges that he sexually abused a former underage swimmer over the course of many years in the 1980s.
Curl was eligible to receive up to 15 years behind bars, but that was reduced to the seven years today at Montgomery County Circuit Court, according to ABC7 TV in Arlington, Va. The Washington Post expanded on the sentencing, saying Curl will get five years' probation time as well. Curl pleaded guilty in February to one count of child sexual abuse, which prevented the case from going to trial.
Curl had repeatedly sexually molested Kelly Currin (nee Davies) in the 1980s, when Curl was the head coach of the Curl-Burke Swim Club in the Washington, D.C., area. The allegations against Curl came to light last July, and USA Swimming was swift to hand Curl a lifetime ban from the sport. Later that summer, Curl-Burke Swim Club became Nation's Capital Swim Club.
Curl, 63, led numerous swimmers to Olympic glory in his coaching career, including Tom Dolan and Mark Henderson.
Currin released a statement through her attorney calling for the resignations of USA Swimming Executive Director Chuck Wielgus and Technical Vice President David Berkoff, as well as the banning of former U.S. national team coach Mark Schubert, all of whom she says knew about the abuse before the criminal charges.
Currin said in the statement that USA Swimming's leadership helped create “a culture that protects predator coaches and vilifies young victims who have the courage to come forward.”
“I have no confidence whatsoever that USA Swimming will protect swimmers from sex abuse,” said Currin, 43. “Its leaders have been given ample opportunity to prove to the country that they are able to put the interests of swimmers ahead of their own. They have failed and failed in the worst of ways.”
Bloomberg article featuring Currin statement