Currently-banned swim coach Alfred O’Neill had had one of the two criminal complaints against him dropped, leaving one complaint and one charge of criminal sexual conduct moving forward.
Earlier this year, a former swimmer accused O’Neill of sexually abusing her in 1988 and 1989. Per local media, O’Neill admitted to having sexual contact with the swimmer, but said he only had sex with her after she had turned 18. He was charged with one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct in that case.
Then, later in the year, another victim came forward, alleging that O’Neill had “engaged in a sexualized relationship with her when she was 16.” Local media reported that these incidents allegedly happened in the late 1990s. This second case caused prosecutors to charge O’Neill with three more counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Now, though, court records indicate that the second set of charges against O’Neill have been dismissed by the prosecutor. O’Neill is now only facing the one charge connected to the late-1980s complaint. His next court date is April 22.
O’Neill was banned by the U.S. Center for SafeSport in September, after the first criminal charge. The Center for SafeSport’s system is separate from the legal system, and the presence of a criminal complaint against a coach can be grounds for a ban, even without a conviction. O’Neill remains on the Center’s banned list under the “ineligible” tag, though that tag means the appeal process could still be ongoing.
Rocky O’Neill, there is a large community that has got your back and that will help you get your name clean and back into swim coaching. There is no reason for USA swimming not to reinstate you after this decision to dismiss this whole nonsense. God is good and just.
Haters like Shawn Deleary need to publicly apologize for their behavior during this whole nonsense. Too much hatred towards a coach that only worked with high standards and ethics.
You all are so wrong. They dismissed them so they could go after him for worse charges in another county where he used to live. This man is not innocent, he is a predator.
It is time for Mr Shawn DeLeary to come to the light and reveal why he has so much interest in damaging Mr. O’Neill’s reputation. There are no “worse” charges, there are no other counties.
THANK YOU for posting this. This will be over soon and we hope he can be reinstated and move on.
Thank you for posting this story about the charges being dismissed.He is innocent and these charges have destroyed his life.