Former NC gymnastics coach faces new charges involving a fourth girl
A former Triangle gymnastics coach charged with taking indecent liberties with three girls faces two new charges involving a fourth girl.
A grand jury indicted Stephen Maness on Monday on a charge of taking indecent liberties with a child, a felony, and sexual battery, a misdemeanor.
The indictment says that between May 1, 2016, and May 31, 2019, Maness did take and attempt to take indecent liberties with someone under the age of 16 “for the purpose of arousing and gratifying sexual desire,” and did commit and attempt to commit “a lewd and lascivious act upon the body.”
The indictment also said he used his hand “to touch the sexual organ, groin, and buttocks” of the girl under 16.
Maness, 41, of Chapel Hill, was charged in 2021 with three counts each of taking indecent liberties with a child and sexual battery related to his interactions with three girls under the age of 16 between 2012 and 2020 in Durham County, according to court documents.
On March 7, Maness was charged with three counts each of misdemeanor assault on a child under 12 and assault on a female, along with one count of child abuse.
That same day he signed a plea arrangement that would have dismissed the initial felony and sexual battery chargesin exchange for pleading guilty to the new misdemeanor charges.
The deal would have sentenced him to five years supervised probation and not require him to register as a sex offender in North Carolina.
The plea, however, didn’t take place after Judge Cynthia Sturges, a visiting judge who represents a judicial district that includes Franklin, Granville and Vance counties, didn’t accept the proposed deal.
“Judge Sturges could not accept!” states a note in the court file.
Maness appeared in court for a scheduled hearing Tuesday on the older, existing charges, but the hearing was continued until May 2. Assistant District Attorney Brooks Stone said he expects the case to be resolved by June.
After the hearing, Maness’s attorney, William Simpson, declined to comment on the case.
Maness is a former coach and owner of Bull City Gymnastics on Neal Road, WRAL reported. His USA Gymnastics membership was revoked in March 2021.
Maness also faces an Orange County charge of assault inflicting serious injury with a minor present. The misdemeanor charge stems from an Oct. 17 incident, according to court records.
This story was originally published April 5, 2022 at 1:43 PM.
