INDIANAPOLIS — A swim coach from Carmel is headed to prison after pleading guilty to federal sexual exploitation charges.
John Goelz, 30, was sentenced Wednesday to 16 years and 8 months in federal prison.
Goelz, a former coach with Carmel Swim Club and former volunteer assistant swim coach at Carmel High School, admitted to having a sexual relationship with one of the girls he coached.
From Sept. 2017 through June 2018, Goelz “built up the victim’s trust as her coach and confidante” and then began luring her into sexual acts, according to US Attorney Josh Minkler, Southern District of Indiana.
During that time, Goelz texted the victim and arranged for them to have sex at parks, motels, and at his home. He also took photos and videos of him and the girl having sex; two videos and several explicit photos were later found on his phone by federal investigators.
Goelz was arrested on July 3 by the U.S. Marshals Service.
“[This] sentence sends a strong message to those whom we put trust in to supervise and coach our children, that this behavior is illegal and those who take advantage of our children will face real consequences,” Minkler said Wednesday. “Protecting our youth from sexual predators will always remain a top priority of this office.”
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney MaryAnn T. Mindrum, who prosecuted this case for the government, Goelz must also serve 10 years of supervised release following his sentence.
(Photo by seb_ra/Thinkstock.)
