A former Boulder swim coach accused of sexually assaulting multiple underage swimmers is set to go to trial later this year.
Jon Michael Beber, 53, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust, charges he was arrested for in July 2022.
Beber is now set for a 10-day trial which will commence on Nov. 6, with a motions hearing scheduled for Oct. 4.
Beber is listed as “ineligible” in the US Center for Safesport database, which means that he has been banned from coaching, but the period for arbitration is still open.
Beber is free on a $30,000 bond.
Beber’s charges stem from his time working as a swim coach with Boulder Swimming from 1997 to 2002, according to investigators at the time of his arrest. He allegedly had inappropriate sexual contact with multiple swimmers on the team, all of whom were underage, and left the job when the allegations began to surface in 2002.
According to The Daily Camera, an arrest affidavit indicates that one of the named victims told police Beber would give her massages and stretches and would sometimes touch her inappropriately.
A second named victim told police that Beber once pulled her out of practice and into a private area to tell her he wanted to have sex with her. Later that day, the woman said Beber raped her in the locker room.
Those two swimmers eventually found out they had had similar experiences and told their parents.
According to The Daily Camera, a witness who was with Colorado Swimming at the time said the club only received “rumor and speculation” and no formal complaints were filed. Once Beber resigned in 2002, the parents opted not to take further action against him.
The information was passed on to USA Swimming in case Beber tried coaching again.
A third named victim told police she would regularly go over to Beber’s apartment while she was 16 or 17 and have sex with him. Other witnesses on the team told police the two were in a relationship. The woman added that at the time, she thought her and Beber would get married, but now realizes the situation was “messed up.”
All three victims said Beber preyed on their insecurities and issues at home in order to attempt to isolate them. Other female swimmers interviewed by police said they were not sexually abused by Beber but did suspect something was going on with him and the other three swimmers. They also said Beber was verbally abusive, made comments about girls’ appearances, and wouldn’t let parents watch practice.
Beber has also worked as a swim coach in Albany, New York, Florida and Atlanta, the Colorado District Attorney said at the time of his arrest. In Atlanta, Beber spent time at Dynamo Swim Club in Georgia.
When he was arrested last July, Beber was the CFO of a restaurant, Joy Cafe, in Atlanta.
Any updates on this individual? It was supposed to commence on 11/06/2023.
Update from the Boulder newspaper –
https://www.dailycamera.com/2023/11/15/former-boulder-swim-coach-has-trial-rescheduled-for-april/
His jury trial is currently in session as of 4/15 they are live-streaming this out of Boulder Co
Found guilty on all counts. Taken into custody and sentencing scheduled for July.
Most interesting red flag was he would not allow people to watch practice. If your coach won’t let parents in, huge red flag that some form of abuse is going on.
Male former swimmer here. My coach for many years (now dead, no accusations I am aware of) had the same rule (loosely enforced). We were happy he did. The parents often were a problem. He did not want to single any of them out so he banned the whole group.