When a former gymnastics and cheerleading coach disembarked from a Carnival cruise at the Port of Galveston in Texas, authorities said he was sent to a secondary inspection because he had been involved in a prior child exploitation investigation.
Customs and Borden Protection officers inspected his luggage and electronics on Nov. 30, 2019, and found child pornography, according to a May 16 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.
Among the images, some showed dead minors — under 8 years old — “in a hospital, mortuary or morgue-type setting,” authorities said.
Darren Frank McCoy’s other electronics were then seized for a more thorough search, according to his signed plea agreement.
Investigators said they found 290 photos and 10 videos that met the definition of child pornography.
McCoy, of McKinney, pleaded guilty on Dec. 1 to transportation of child pornography, records show. In pleading guilty, the former Texas and Alabama coach admitted he had also secretly recorded teenage athletes.
Now, the 55-year-old man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release.
His defense attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News on May 17.
Prosecutors said investigators found videos from about a decade ago that showed teens changing or showering in a bathroom, at a gym and at a hotel during a cheerleading competition in Florida.
“At the hearing, the court heard from one woman whom McCoy recorded while she was a minor. She discussed how her life has been seriously impacted by McCoy’s conduct, describing how he stole her childhood experiences without her even knowing it and that she feels rage, anger and sadness and lack of empathy toward him,” authorities said. “Another victim described how McCoy sexually abused her from the time she was 12 until the age of 18. She detailed how she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety.”
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McCoy was their gymnastics coach, according to the release.
“Darren McCoy is the definition of a predator,” U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani said in the release. “We encourage our children to engage in sports, believing that they will be safe when doing so. Instead, these athletes were betrayed. This so-called coach surreptitiously recorded teens and sexually abused a minor for several years. Hopefully, knowing the only bars he will see now are behind a federal prison cell will give his victims some long-awaited peace.”
McCoy coached gymnastics and cheerleading at Metroplex Gymnastics and Swim in Allen after coaching cheer at Top Dog Cheer in Montgomery, Alabama, according to the release.
McClatchy News reached out to Metroplex Gymnastics and Swim for comment on May 17. Top Dog Cheer appears to have since closed.
If you have experienced sexual assault and need someone to talk to, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline for support at 1-800-656-4673 or visit the hotline’s online chatroom.
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