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Canadian Coach Accused Of Sexual Assault Out On Bail

Matt Bell, the Ajax Swimming CEO and high performance coach who was arrested Nov. 10 for allegedly sexually assaulting a former swimmer, is out on bail as he awaits trial.

Bell was released Nov. 11 on $10,000 bail and is bound by several conditions. Bell is required to live with his surety in Ajax and cannot have any contact with the alleged victim.

He was also forced to surrender his passport, cannot have unsupervised contact with anyone under 16, and cannot use a cellphone or computer.

Bell was charged with sexual assault, sexual exploitation, and four counts of luring a person under 18 years. Durhamregion.com is reporting that Bell’s luring charge had to do with using a computer.

The charges date back to an alleged 2011 incident involving one of Bell’s former athletes. After the accuser, a teenage girl, came forward, the Durham Regional Police Sexual Assault Unit launched an investigation this past August which eventually led to Bell’s arrest.

Bell was also suspended by Swimming Canada on the same day that he was released on bail. Bell was a former Canadian national team coach with stints at the 2015 FINA World Junior Championships and world cup events.

Bell will be back in court Nov. 30 in Oshawa, Ont.

 

 

 

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Yang
8 years ago

It appears both Matt and Julia Wilkinsons names have been removed from Ajax swimming coaching section of the website. Julia’s Twitter also seems to show she is no longer affiliated with Ajax……hmmmmm

Swim Dad
Reply to  Yang
8 years ago

There is no “Hmmmm” here. She quit and just prior to the club being shut down.

Yang
Reply to  Swim Dad
8 years ago

Yah when I checked yesterday the website was still in tact but now everything seems to be shutdown. They should post some sorta statment.

Stats
8 years ago

I wonder what % of “luring” charges are proven to be found guilty in Canada……and he has 4 counts.

gordon
Reply to  Stats
8 years ago

That would be a good question. The key question, regarding this case, is that if the Crown/Police have e-mails between Bell and the kid that support the charges then Bell has a big problem. The 4 counts might be in relation to 4 e-mails?

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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