Jeremy Anderson, who died while being extradited back to the U.S. to face sexual assault charges, has been removed from the SafeSport database, where he was previously listed with an interim ban. Meanwhile an 18-year-old athlete has been added to the database, and one previous entry has had its sanction tags changed.
Santa Clarita, California’s Anderson was one of 8 interim bans listed in the U.S. Center for SafeSport’s database as of last fall. At the time, he was listed for allegations of misconduct. A former coach at Canyons Aquatic Club from 2006 to 2017, Anderson was accused of sexual assault and soliciting child pornography from multiple victims. Anderson fled the country before he could be arrested. He was in the process of being extradited back to the U.S. from Costa Rica when he died last month.
Meanwhile, an 18-year-old athlete has been added to the database under the tag “interim measure – restriction.” Payton Allen is listed as of June 28, 2019. Most of the interim bans in the database are “interim measure – suspension.” The Center previously provided us with a glossary of terms which defined the suspension tag as a prohibition on any participation in organized Olympic sports, while the restriction tag could restrict only certain forms of participation. Allen is not currently listed on either of USA Swimming’s lists of permanently and temporarily banned individuals, but the Center is now in charge of investigating, and handing out bans and restrictions, which apply to not only USA Swimming but all other Olympic sports in the United States.
Allen is a recently-graduated high school senior who was an athlete member of USA Swimming.
That inclusion in the SafeSport database comes about the same time the Center briefly listed, then removed, a 13-year-old athlete in its database. We asked the Center for SafeSport for clarification on both names, but the Center reiterated its policy of not commenting on specific matters to protect privacy.
There’s one more change in the database: Johnathon Corbett remains listed, but the tags in his entry have changed. Corbett, most recently a coach member of USA Swimming, had been listed as “permanently ineligible,” but has now had his tag changed to “ineligible.” In addition, his entry had previously carried the “subject to appeal / not yet final” tag, but no longer does.
That’s an odd change in designation: we’ve previously been told that the “ineligible” tag implies that the window for appeal is still open, and that once the window closes, the tag is replaced by “permanently ineligible.” But Corbett’s tags went in the opposite direction, from “permanently ineligible” to “ineligible,” while the “subject to appeal” tag was actually removed. The Center won’t comment on specific cases, but told us that the “ineligible” tag is “typically used in matters that violate the criminal disposition provision of the Code, e.g. matters with pending criminal charges,” though Corbett’s entry has always referenced a criminal disposition.
I cannot figure out USA Swimming / SafeSport. Those that do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. People like Anderson go on a decade long kiddie spree and are protected by friends and staff, shady board, fellow coaches and LSC officials.. and for what? Now we just delete his name and hope it all goes away? SafeSport, he should be highlighted!
Parent with experience here, my son was pursued by this monster and it WAS reported to SafeSport and Canyons. Sadly we find out we are not the first and clearly not the last. We do our part and report. What do we do when nobody seems to want to do anything except pretend it… Read more »
Never forget Jeremy Anderson or you are doomed to have his abuse happen again. Too many parents are blind to these predators grooming, and as long as coaches like Anderson make their kids faster they just lay low and say nothing.