Crime & Safety

Former Swim Club Coach Sentenced to 7 Years for Child Sex Abuse

Rick Curl, who co-founded the Curl-Burke Swim Club, plead guilty to one charge of child sex abuse involving one of his former students back in February.

Rick Curl, who co-founded the Curl-Burke Swim Club, was sentenced to seven years in prison for sexually abusing one of his students in the 1980s.

The sentencing was announced May 23 in Montgomery County Circuit Court, the The Washington Post reported.

Curl was charged with child sexual abuse in October 2012 after a former swim student accused him of abusing her when she was 13 years old. Kelly Currin, known then as Kelley Davies, came forward with her story after USA Swimming launched an investigation into Curl.

Read more: Former Swim Club Coach Pleads Guilty to Child Sex Abuse

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Currin said the abuse continued for five years ad ended when she was 18.

Curl pleaded guilty to the charge back in February. Curl's full sentence was 15 years with all but seven years suspended and five years probation. Additionally, Curl has to register as a sex offender.

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The Washington Post reports Currin's parents asked Curl to sign a letter admitting he had sex with their daughter and the letter was passed on to the athletic director at the University of Maryland. Curl was a swimming and diving coach at the university in 1987. According to the Post, Curl resigned from that position in 1988.

Curl reportedly apologized to Currin for the pain he caused, saying he was "profoundly sorry," according to NBC 4.

“I loved Rick Curl. I loved him,” Currin said to the court in a statement, according to the Post. “He was my hero.”

Currin also called for a congressional investigation into USA Swimming and its coaches while in court.

"There are people that knew about this abuse and did nothing," Currin is stated as saying.

Following the allegations of abuse, Curl was banned for life by USA Swimming. The Curl-Burke Swim Club was renamed the Nation’s Capital Swim Club. There are Nation’s Capital Swim Clubs in Burke, Falls Church, Tysons Corner, Manassas, Manassas Park and Warrenton.

Related stories:

  • Former Swim Club Coach Rick Curl Agrees to Plead Guilty to Child Sex Abuse
  • Curl-Burke Swim Club Founder Banned by USA Swimming


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