Coach of Utah ladies’s soccer crew charged with sexually assaulting participant

DRAPER — A former coach for a lady’s soccer crew in Utah has been charged with raping a girl on the crew.

Demetrius Victor Lynch, 42, of Draper, was charged Friday in third District Court docket with rape, a first-degree felony.

Lynch was an assistant coach and board member for the Utah Falconz, a nonprofit group centered on creating ladies by deal with soccer.

“Our whole group, together with our coaches, consists of volunteers, and our athletes contribute financially to take part within the crew,” in line with a press release launched Tuesday by board president Lacy Mile.

“We first turned conscious of the allegation in January immediately from the previous assistant coach, who was additionally a board member. Upon studying of this case, we instantly contacted everybody concerned and discovered that the incident had already been reported to the police,” Mile mentioned. “Following this discovery, we instantly relieved the coach of his volunteer duties, eliminated him from our board, and promptly knowledgeable league officers. The coach has had no affiliation with the crew for the reason that preliminary report. Whereas we have been conscious of the police investigation, we have been solely knowledgeable of the felony fees (Tuesday).”

In January, Draper police took a report from a girl who “described Demetrius Lynch, her soccer coach, raping her and sexually assaulting her after a housewarming social gathering,” in line with court docket paperwork. Police say the incident occurred on Jan. 13 after the opposite social gathering friends had left Lynch’s residence.

In her assertion, Mile mentioned the group is “devastated” by the allegations.

“There may be an ongoing investigation, and felony fees have now been filed. To our data, everybody affiliated with our group has cooperated totally with the police investigation,” she mentioned. “I need to make it clear that we stand strongly with the ladies of the Utah Falconz and can proceed to take motion that we imagine prioritizes their well being and security.”