The national governing body for the sport told WRAL Stephen Maness, who owns Bull City Gymnastics in Durham, will not be allowed to have any contact with USA Gymnastics-affiliated athletes. All three girls appeared in court this week, fully expecting the case to be over, until the judge decided the plea agreement was not tough enough. Login. MANESS. We believe it's touching that is consistent with the sport. Durham Police originally charged him with three counts of taking indecent liberties and three counts of sexual battery. Stephen Maness, 41, was booked into jail and released on Dec. 15 following a court appearance in which his attorney asked a judge to enforce a plea offer that prosecutors have withdrawn. The judge rejected the proposal . Durham Police originally charged him with three counts of taking indecent liberties and three counts of sexual battery. View the profiles of people named Stephen Maness. Extensive steps have taken place to comply with this plea agreement, to enter this plea agreement and [Maness] has held up his end of the bargain and the State needs to be held to their obligations under this plea.. Ronkonkoma, NY 11779 Get Started. After an investigation by the U.S. Center for SafeSport, Maness was deemed ineligible to be a member of USA Gymnastics. Stephen Maness, 41, was booked into jail and released on Dec. 15 following a court appearance in which his attorney asked a judge to enforce a plea offer that prosecutors have withdrawn. Coroner: 14-year-old killed in Horry Co. bar shooting, Florence man, FL woman sentenced in pandemic fraud, 1 of 2 brothers shot in NC dies; suspect sought, Man missing since February in Darlington County, $1M Powerball ticket bought in NC expiring soon, Cat that loves Taylor Swift music up for adoption, UAE Mars orbiter snaps epic photo of Martian moon, Is my money safe? He has been accused of assaulting three young girls who were enrolled there. Stephen Maness, 39, of Chapel Hill was arrested Tuesday night. Maness is expected to be back in court early next month, so he could learn his ultimate sentence in just a few weeks. Stephen Maness, the man at the center of this case, once operated Bull City Gymnastics. 6 Coastal baseball escapes the Ragin Cajuns, Judy Southard, a trailblazer in womens sports, to, Kevin Durant signs lifetime Nike deal, joining Jordan,, Byron Young, Carvers Bay HS Grad, projected 2023, Clemson Prowl & Growl event comes to Florence on, High-waisted jeans that are as comfortable as they. Check out the new Patch Mortgage Center for all your home financing needs! Stephen Maness, the man at the center of this case, once operated Bull City Gymnastics. Happy Thursday, Durham! But a proposed plea agreement would reduce the 6 felonies to 7 misdemeanors, including assault on a child, assaulting a female and misdemeanor child abuse. The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Suspect accused of shooting Wake County deputy escapes from jail in Virginia, Severe storms with high winds, hail expected to roll into Triangle, central NC Sunday. All rights reserved. This is Kathy Mandell, covering for my colleague CJ Fullford today, March 10, 2022. 2023 Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc. Three youths under 16 accuse gymnastics coach of abuse, Durham coach, facing criminal charges, suspended from contact by USA Gymnastics, Panthers oust record-setting Bruins 4-3 in OT in Game 7, No. A complaint against Maness is listed as being processed by USA Gymnastics. Show Grayscale Images Browser Extension Disable NotificationsSet Location. The plea doesnt mention Maness having to register on the North Carolina sex offender registry. More from our sponsors thanks for supporting local news! USA Gymnastics on Monday told WRAL News that the owner of a Durham gymnastics center facing sex charges has been suspended from contact with USA Gymnastics-affiliated athletes and events while his criminal case plays out. She has worked for newspapers for more than 15 years. Stephen Maness, 41, is facing four counts each of taking indecent liberties with a child and sexual battery. 15, 2023), Softball: Wakefield vs. Panther Creek (Apr. A note on the court file indicates the judge also wanted him to get sex offender treatment and counseling, but its not clear whether others agreed to that provision. US government tracking more than 650 potential UFO cases, Massive flames erupt from attic of Clayton home, Shaw University alumni divided over plans to update campus, build high-rise towers, WRAL Weather Alert Day: Timeline and maps for severe weather's arrival. WRAL reports the documents do not indicate whether these alleged incidents happened at the Bull City Gymnastics gym. Join in the Fun at the Annual Open House! There was no indication in the documents as to whether any of the alleged incidents occurred at the gym. USA Gymnastics is continuing to address longstanding sexual abuse of its members by coaches, doctors and staff members across the country. This week, however, a judge refused to accept the agreement as written. Get access to our best features. Smith softball, Highlights: Bland and Grunow provide pop as Wakefield downs Panther Creek, Panthers introduce rookie QB Bryce Young, the No. There was no indication in the documents as to whether any of the alleged incidents occurred at the gym. The center, which also ordered Maness in February of 2021 not to have any unsupervised contact with minors, is investigating the charges against him. The gym is still run by his estranged wife. The charges against Stephen Maness, who owns Bull City. Mannes previously owned Bull City Gymnastics on Neal Road in Durham, N.C. and ran Chapel Hill Gymnastics in Chapel Hill. Maness is associated with Bull City Gymnastics. Two other young girls say Maness assaulted them between 2015 and 2019. Steve Maness in North Carolina. Maness was deemed permanently ineligible for USA Gymnastics membership after an investigation and was recently offered a plea deal that: A judge, however, rejected the plea, requiring that Maness undergo sex offender counseling. Home. We seek the help of local organizations in referring qualified applicants to our station. Subscribe. Details, Posted December 22, 2022 5:00 p.m. ESTUpdated January 10, 2023 6:59 p.m. EST. Court documents allege the abuse occurred over several years. Steven Maness. Panthers reach consensus on No. March gardening guide: What plants and vegetables can you plant this month? Find Steven Maness's phone number, address, and email on Spokeo, the leading people search directory for contact information and public records. Court documents dont indicate where the interactions occurred. Steven Maness in Durham, NC Steven Maness may also have lived outside of Durham, such as Chapel Hill, Raleigh and 2 other cities in North Carolina. Chapel Hill, NC 27514. Since then, prosecutors have withdrawn the plea deal entirely. The views expressed here are the author's own. Previous to Stephen's current city of Chapel Hill, NC, Stephen Maness lived in Walkertown NC and Durham NC. Maness, 39, of Chapel Hill, was arrested last Tuesday and released after posting a $10,000 bond. Chapelboro But a. Stephen Maness, 40, of Chapel Hill, was charged in 2021 with three counts each of sexual battery and taking indecent liberties with a child, all felonies, related to his interactions with three. Willets said that she cant provide additional information. This story was originally published March 10, 2022, 10:22 AM. . I try to look at all of the delays in a positive light because it has actually given other victims and individuals with relevant information the time they needed to be ready to speak up, and has, ultimately, strengthened our case considerably.. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Judge Cynthia Sturges did not accept or reject the offer. The plea called for two consecutive sentences of 60 days each, which would have been suspended for the probation that prohibited Maness from having contact with the victims and gymnastics facilities. 2023 Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc. indicted for sex crimes against three young gymnasts, Durham coach, facing criminal charges, suspended from contact by USA Gymnastics, Durham gymnastics coach offered plea agreement, Durham gymnastics coach arrested on indecent liberties charges, New charges for Durham gymnastics coach accused of child sex crimes, Panthers oust record-setting Bruins 4-3 in OT in Game 7, No. Stephen Maness was booked into jail and released on Dec. 15 following a court appearance in which his attorney asked a judge to enforce a plea offer that prosecutors have withdrawn. Supervision failures persist. While Bull City Gymnastics is still in operation, Maness is listed as ineligible by the U.S. Center for Safe-Sport and he's banned from coaching at any gym affiliated with USA Gymnastics. All three victims were under the age of 16 at the time of the offenses, court documents show. Kate trains 30+ hours per week under her Head Coaches Stephen Maness and Amanda Maness. Some of the offenses date back to 2012 and occurred until March 2020. Maness was initially charged in February 2021 with three counts each of taking indecent liberties and sexual battery after three former gymnasts accused the coach of inappropriate touching over several years. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Coach Stephen Maness has been accused of sexually assaulting one youth gymnast repeatedly over an eight-year period, from 2012- 2020, and two others between 2015 and 2019. He has been accused of assaulting three young girls who were. Want to post on Patch? 2023 Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc. 2021 WRAL Voters' Choice Awards Go-To Guide, Cyber security: Protecting your digital life, Why So Many of Us Dont Lose Weight When We Exercise, three counts each of taking indecent liberties and sexual battery, presented a plea offer that reduced the felony charges, Judge refuses plea agreement for Durham gymnastics coach facing child sex charges, IMAGE: Prosecutors withdraw plea offer, hint at additional victims in Durham gymnastics sex assault case, Durham gymnastics coach offered plea agreement, Durham coach, facing criminal charges, suspended from contact by USA Gymnastics, Durham gymnastics coach arrested on indecent liberties charges, Bio Jobs Hub: Find a great-paying job that changes lives, even yours, Click to See All CONTESTS available from WRAL.com, Buffalo Brothers - 1/2 Price Appetizers 4:30pm-6:00pm Monday - Friday, Baseball: South Central vs D.H. Conley (Mar. We are here to support you in any way we can. Survivors of child sexual abuse often face significant challenges, including health care and mental health costs, as well as significant emotional and psychological damage. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Posted by Brighton McConnell | Feb 23, 2021 | Business, Crime, Instagram. I know being touched like that you are going to have trauma, and you might have a hard time finding relationships and connecting with people in a physical way, said Abigail Davis, a former gymnastic and close friend of the four accusers. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Two other young girls say Maness assaulted them between 2015 and 2019. Get your newsletter delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday at 11 a.m. featuring links to stories by our local journalists. A former Durham gymnastics coach indicted for sex crimes against three young gymnasts has been offered a plea agreement -- that comes with a much lighter sentence. Organizations that wish to receive our vacancy information should contact WCHL by calling (919) 933-4165. We know that Stephen's political affiliation is currently a registered Republican . Crime Victim Support Services. How we got here, and what to know, A mothers excruciating wait for justice in her daughters death just got longer, Durham woman killed in weekend crash on Interstate 885, 32-year-old driver killed in Sunday crash on Corporation Parkway in Raleigh, Pittsboro man accused of shooting into car, injuring teen, arrested at high school, A look back at the kidnapping of Hania Aguilar, a case that gripped NC and beyond. This week, however, a judge refused to accept the agreement as written. Dunlow did not make a decision about whether or not to enforce the initial plea offer. Sturges raised concern that Maness would not have to register as a sex offender as part of the plea deal and referred the decision to another judge. Dunlow did not make a decision about whether or not to enforce the initial plea offer. Donna Maness in North Carolina 24 people named Donna Maness found in Greensboro-Winston Salem-High Point, Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill and 6 other cities. Local. On Monday, Maness signed a plea arrangement that would have dismissed the felonies in exchange for him pleading guilty to three counts of misdemeanor child abuse. This post was contributed by a community member. If we accept your case, you will pay us nothing unless we win. USA Gymnastics says Bull City Gymnastics has named a new club administrator in order to remain a member of the national organization, which enables the Durham gym to continue competing at USA Gymnastics-sanctioned events. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. A grand jury indicted Stephen Maness on Monday. WCHL To get a pair of high-waisted jeans that are as comfortable as they are fashionable, find a pair with added elastane, Lycra or spandex. WRAL News tried to talking to the former coach at his home in Chapel Hill, but no one answered the door. The organizations website says it has and will continue to take specific and concrete steps to promote athlete safety and prevent future abuse by vigorously enforcing the USA Gymnastics Safe Sport Policy. Elements of the policy include mandatory reporting of sexual misconduct, definitions of six types of misconduct, standards meant to prohibit grooming behavior and inappropriate action and more. WRAL News tried to talking to the former coach at his home in Chapel Hill, but no one answered the door. The plea includes a 120-day suspended sentence, meaning: No jail time, 5 years of supervised probation, A ban from gymnastics facilities and supervising children under 18, A no contact order with the victims or their families. Register. The Crime Victims Center is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the prevention and treatment of child sexual abuse and rape, the provision of services to victims of violent crime, and elderly, disabled and minor victims of all crime. 2. CBS affiliate WJHL reports according to a release from Commonwealth Attorney H. Fuller Cridlin, Steven Maness was convicted by a jury in October 2018 following a week-long trial. Sunny skies, cooler temps on tap this week, GOP lawmakers want to pay for students' private education. Stephen Maness, formerly a Durham gymnastics coach, was indicted for sex crimes against the gymnasts. Loving the Durham Daily? Durham Area Pet Adoption: Meet Oakley, Clover, Barney & More, NC Airport Closed As Military Downs Chinese Balloon: Report, Prismatica Kaleidoscope Experience: A Color-Filled Exhibition of Lights and Reflections at The Streets at SouthPoint (. Find Stephen Maness's phone number, address, and email on Spokeo, the leading people search directory for contact information and public records. Authorities arrested Maness on February 16 oncharges of indecent liberties with a minor and sexual battery against three victims under the age of 16. These can affect achievement in school, the future prospects of employment, and their day-to-day interactions with loved ones. Stephen Ray Maness, 42 . 20 Duke clinches third consecutive Top-15 series victory Sunday, Deadly crash in Clinton splits car in half, kills at least 2, First Republic Bank seized, sold to JPMorgan Chase, 'Smart Cities' on the rise, Morrisville leading the way, Deadly crash in Clinton kills 2, injures 1, A ban from gymnastics facilities and supervising children under 18, A no contact order with the victims or their families. Stephen Maness, Bull City Gymnastics Durham gymnastics coach arrested on indecent liberties charges.