Indianapolis area club and high school coach Matthew Carrington has been added to USA Swimming public list of Individuals Permanently Suspended or Ineligible.
Carrington’s official ban date is April 16th, 2015, meaning that his 30 day appeals period has expired.
Carrington was arrested in February and charged with “Child Seduction.” According to official Indiana State Records, the full charge involves when a child care worker engages in fondling or touching a child between 16-17 years old, and is classed as a Felony 6. Indiana sentencing guidelines put the range of prison time for a Felony 7 between 6 months and 2 1/2 years, with an advisory sentence of 1 year.
The full statute:
If a person who is at least 18 years of age and is the child care worker for a child at least sixteen (16) years of age but less than eighteen (18) years of age; engages with the child in sexual intercourse, deviate sexual conduct (as defined in IC 35-31.5-2-94), or any fondling or touching with the intent to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires of either the child or the adult, the person commits child seduction.
No trial date is set yet, but Carrington is next due in court on May 28th for a “Pretrial conference.”
Carrington was an assistant coach at North Central High School and with the Washington Township Swim Club, where he was the head age group coach. Days before his arrest, the mother of a 16-year old student claims to have discovered text messages from him that contained explicit and sexual language. The girl later alleged that Carrington touched her inappropriately at school on at least two occasions.
Carrington is currently out on $5,000 bond.
USA Swimming’s ban specifically cited three sections of the Code of Conduct:
304.3.6 Conviction of, imposition of a deferred sentence for, or any plea of guilty or no contest at any time, past or present, or the existence of any pending charges, for (i) any felony, (ii) any offense involving use, possession, distribution or intent to distribute illegal drugs or substances, (iii) any crime involving sexual misconduct, or (iv) any criminal offense against a minor.
A. Any inappropriate sexual conduct or advance, or other inappropriate oral, written, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature at any time, past or present, directed towards an athlete or any person under the age of eighteen (18) by (i) a coach member or other non-athlete member, or (ii) any other adult participating in any capacity whatsoever in the activities of USA Swimming (whether such adult is a member or not).
B. Any act of sexual harassment, including without limitation unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other inappropriate oral, written, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature in connection with or incidental to a USA Swimming-related activity by any person participating in the affairs or activities of USA Swimming (whether such person is a member or not) directed toward any member or other person participating in the affairs or activities of USA Swimming.
C. A romantic or sexual relationship, even if it is a consensual relationship between adults, which began during the swimming relationship, between athletes and those individuals (i) having direct supervisory or evaluative control, or (ii) who are in a position of power and trust over the athlete. Except in circumstances where no imbalance of power exists, coaches have this direct supervisory or evaluative control and are in a position of power and trust over those athletes they coach. The prohibition on romantic or sexual relationships does not include those relationships where it can be demonstrated that there is no imbalance of power. For example, this prohibition does not apply to a relationship between two spouses or life partners which existed prior to the swimming relationship. For factors that may be relevant to determining whether an imbalance of power exists, consult the USOC’s Safe Sport Policies at www.teamusa.org/Footer/Legal/Governance-Documents.
D. Any peer-to-peer sexual abuse. For the purposes of the Code of Conduct, the term “peer-to-peer sexual abuse” shall mean any unwelcome physical conduct of a sexual nature directed towards a minor athlete by another minor athlete.
304.3.19 Any other material and intentional act, conduct or omission not provided for above, which is detrimental to the image or reputation of USA Swimming, a LSC or the sport of swimming.
