Gymnastics coach accused of molesting 17-year-old

Police: Man blocked girl in San Jose hotel room

Bee Staff Reports

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SAN JOSE — A Modesto gymnastics coach has been charged in Santa Clara County Superior Court with molesting a 17-year-old gymnast during a meet in San Jose this past summer.

Sean Gilham, 53, was arrested last week by Modesto police after a report that in June he blocked the girl from leaving her San Jose hotel room, and then molested her.

According to San Jose police, the girl eventually was able to convince him to stop. Her team was in San Jose for a gymnastics competition.

Modesto police asked the San Jose Police Department's Child Exploitation Detail/Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force to help with the case, according to officer Jermaine Thomas, a San Jose police spokesman.

San Jose police say similar incidents with the girl occurred at Gilham's gym in Modesto over the past year. Gilham is the owner of Acro Sports of Modesto at 1514 Princeton Ave.

Gilham coaches and has participated in sports acrobatics, a combination of gymnastics and acrobatics. Pairs and groups, including adults with children, perform routines to a musical accompaniment on a gymnastic type platform. Founded in 1973, sports acrobatics became part of the World Games, an event for non-Olympic sports.

"Sports acro is a little more casual than artistic gymnastics," said Gilham in an interview with The Bee in 2003. "You can get by with six to eight hours of training a week instead of 20. And it was something I could do. I found out a couple friends of mine were doing it, about the same age, and I thought if they can do it, I can do it, too."

Gilham also had been a co-owner of Al's Scenic Marine of Modesto, buying the longtime Modesto business from the founder with a partner in 2007. It also was on Princeton Avenue.

San Jose police would like to speak to anyone with additional information related to this case or additional victims. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Eric Michel or Sgt. Randy Schriefer at 408-277-4102.