Gymnastics coach arrested in Blaine for sexual misconduct allegations
BLAINE, Minn. (FOX 9) - A 26-year-old man who works as a gymnastics coach is charged with criminal sexual conduct after a 12-year-old boy reported that the coach exposed himself at a park in Blaine.
That man, Kyle Anthony Pekula, of Isanti, was employed as a coach at Jam Hops Gymnastics Studio at the time of the incident.
What we know
Blaine police officers say they responded to Carrara West Park just after 4:45 p.m. on Sept. 20 for a "report of a potential lewd display and sexual assault."
Police then spoke to a woman and her 12-year-old boy and his mother.
The boy told police that a man approached him and his siblings when they were all sitting at a picnic table.
That man, later identified as Pekula, then sat at the table and started talking to them.
The boy told police Pekula then exposed his penis to them through a leg hole in his shorts.
Warning: The following details are disturbing.
The criminal complaint states that Pekula then grabbed a "Cheeto-brand puffed cheese snack" and asked the children at the table if they would like to "feed the animals."
The children said "no", but Pekula reportedly then rubbed the Cheeto snack against his penis.
The complaint states he then broke the Cheeto in half and set it on top of the picnic bench.
Pekula then invited the children to his gymnastics class and walked toward Jam Hops Gymnastics Studio.
When police went to the gymnastics studio, they found Pekula, who matched the description provided by the children.
The complaint states that Pekula admitted to being at the park and speaking to the children, but denied exposing himself.
Police reported that when they collected Pekula's clothes, they found a small orange spot on the inside of his underwear.
Response
In a statement, Jam Hops President Brenda Nolby wrote:
"On September 20, one of our employees, Kyle Pekula, was arrested by the Blaine Police Department on charges of criminal sexual conduct with minors in a public park. Kyle has been terminated and is barred from entering our facility or contacting our students.
"Our kids and families are incredibly important to me. Safety is our most important responsibility. We are doing everything we can to help police with this investigation, and we immediately reported this situation to our safety governing body, SafeSport. They are also investigating.
"We have many safety rules, procedures and training programs in place to protect our students. This includes background checks on all employees and background checks every two years for competitive coaches, which included Kyle.
"This incident is deeply troubling. We know this has shaken trust and created concerns among parents and the community, and we are heartbroken this happened. Jam Hops was founded on a passion not only for gymnastics and dance, but also for inspiring kids to be life champions.
"We are communicating regularly with parents, continuing to cooperate with law enforcement and working to implement further safety enhancements to ensure we are always creating a safe environment for our gymnasts."