Gymnastics coach accused of sexually assaulting student in Allegheny, Butler counties

BUTLER COUNTY, Pa. — A gymnastics coach is accused of sexually assaulting one of his students.

Keith Callen, 45, of Sarver, is charged with sexually assaulting the female student, beginning when she was 14, according to police paperwork.%

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The assaults took place at gymnastics facilities in Butler and Allegheny counties between 2013 and 2014, authorities said.

According to a criminal complaint obtained by Channel 11 News, Callen began coaching the girl at Jewart's Gymnastics in Hampton Township when she was 12. During that time, police said he gave the girl a necklace, which her parents returned to him.

Elaine Jewart, the owner of Jewart's Gymnastics, told Channel 11 News Tuesday that she had her suspicions about Callen in 2012. She said he was ultimately fired because of his social media interactions with students.

“He was coaching for us, and he just got involved with social media with the kids and that's one of our staff policies that we don't like for the coaches to have a personal relationship with the kids,” she said.

Authorities said the sexual assaults began after Callen was fired from Jewart's Gymnastics.

Starting in May 2013, Callen coached the girl at Trinity Gymnastics in Gibsonia. The girl told police that Callen sexually assaulted her more than once while he was helping her stretch. She said he also gave her a ring, which was engraved with “Forever Love,” as a Christmas present that year, according to the criminal complaint.

Brian McGrath, the owner of Trinity Gymnastics sent this statement in to Channel 11:

At Trinity Gymnastics, we have zero, I repeat, zero, tolerance for any infraction against the USGA rules and policies regarding appropriate conduct between adults and children.

McGrath said when State Police contracted him about the allegations, he fully cooperated.

Callen is also accused of sexually assaulting the student while he was helping her stretch at Elite Athletic Center in Butler Township, the complaint said.

The girl told police that when she was 16, she and Callen had sex in a Jeep that was parked at a gas station in Adams Township. The criminal complaint also said Callen had sex with the girl in 2015 in the parking lot of the Home Depot in Butler when she was 17 years old.

Callen faces charges of sexual assault, indecent assault, unlawful contact with a minor and corruption of minors.

Cox Media Group