Former Illinois coach charged with secretly videotaping gymnast
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- A former University of Illinois gymnastics coach has been charged with secretly videotaping a gymnast in a campus locker room.John Valdez, who coached Justin Spring at the Beijing Olympics, was charged Tuesday with one count of unauthorized videotaping, Champaign County State's Attorney Julia Rietz said. The charge is a Class 4 felony and carries a potential sentence of one to three years in prison.Valdez resigned from the university in October, citing personal issues.A gymnast training on Sept. 25 with Valdez in the gym used by the men's gymnastics team noticed a handheld video camera partially hidden under a T-shirt in an open locker, Rietz said.The 22-year-old gymnast, who is a student, reported the camera to Valdez, but later called campus police and found the incide... Read more...
