Gymnastics coach charged in sexual assault of children

<p>A former New Jersey gymnastics coach has been accused of sexually assaulting a 7-year-old student.</p>

News 12 Staff

Nov 29, 2017, 11:45 PM

Updated 2,333 days ago

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A former New Jersey gymnastics coach has been accused of sexually assaulting a 7-year-old student.
The Union County Prosecutor's Office says 34-year-old Jorge Rodriguez assaulted the child over the course of six months at the Surgent's Elite School of Gymnastics location in Westfield. He is charged with second-degree sexual assault and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.
Rodriguez also worked at the company's gymnastics schools in Garwood and Roselle Park.
Prosecutors say that the alleged abuse happened between September 2015 and March 2016.
The former coach is already in jail in Boston awaiting trial in a separate child rape case. That trial is scheduled to begin in May.
No court appearance in New Jersey has been scheduled.
A spokesperson for Surgent’s Elite says in a statement, “Surgent's Elite is a family run gymnastics school. Our managers and teachers all have children themselves that make Surgent's Elite their home. We consider our students extensions of our family and we prioritize protecting them."
Authorities are trying to determine if there are more victims. Anyone with information about Rodriguez’s alleged activities is urged to contact Special Victims Unit Detective Ryan Kirsh at 908-965-3814.


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