Former Stockton Swim Club coach Shunichi Fujishima has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl he’d coached.
Fujishima pleaded guilty last month. The girl he abused testified at the sentencing hearing, according to The Colorado Springs Gazette, saying that Fujishima’s abuse drove her out of the sport entirely.
“I feel like I am in a hole with no way out, no stairs, no light, nothing,” the girl said. “Now I feel sad, empty, lonely and full of shame.”
Court records said Fujishima would regularly drive the girl from swim practice to his condo to have sex with her, and even filmed her performing sexual favors. The girl said he began grooming her at the age of 11, and turned the relationship sexual when she was 12.
Fujishima was banned by the U.S. Center for SafeSport as of February 19. He’s currently “ineligible,” meaning the appeal window could still be open with the Center for SafeSport.
Fujishima is also at the center of a civil lawsuit that is still ongoing. The Colorado Springs Gazette reports that the Stockton Swim Club and Pacific Swimming have reached confidential settlements and are no longer parties in that lawsuit. But the suit remains against both Fujishima and USA Swimming.
Get More SwimSwam with SwimSwam Magazine
SwimSwam Magazines are big, coming in at nearly a pound per issue. We provide you four massive print issues designed to sit on your coffee table like a piece of artwork. With your yearly subscription, you receive over 600 of pages of swimming’s highest quality print content, and another 5,330+ pages of digital issues, going back to the first issue produced.
Parents of the girl should know not to leave her with Shunichi
I think parents should be arrested for child endangerment and they should’ve been supervising their child.
If the relationship turned sexual when she was 12, how did he only end up with 12 years in prison?
Same garbage went on in SoCal with deceased Jeremy Anderson.
Hope she heals with love and support. Hope he will also heal and when freed make amends for the hurt he has caused.
You done messed up!
Disgusting. Hope he suffers and she can find something as close to peace as possible
Good riddance frickin perv. She was 12! That’s beyond disgusting.
And parents, guardians etc, please, if you have knowledge or evidence or concerns of such abuse please report to local police, FBI, law enforcement, etc You can’t depend on emails to USA swimming in these very sad and egregious instances. USA swim has shown time and time again that they either can’t handle such claims or possibly covering them up to save their business. These are crimes. Safe sport is now federal law. It’s not a USA swim committee. It has teeth. You have rights and protections as a victim. Also any personal interactions emails, car rides with minors are violations of safe sport – which again is the law. Look out for these instances. . most importantly I wish… Read more »