A Boise youth gymnastics coach has been arrested on charges of sexual battery after it was alleged that he engaged in sexual relations with two of his female students at least five and six years his junior.
As reported by Boise ABC affiliate KIVI and the Idaho Statesman, among other sources, 22-year-old Derek Nesbitt was arrested at the gymnastics facility where he works on Friday on charges of sexual battery of a minor between the age of 15 and 16. The charges followed a lengthy investigation by the Ada County Sheriff's Office after the department was notified of an incident where Nesbitt allegedly plied a group of teens with alcohol.
That party, which was reported by an anonymous source, turned out to be one of many thrown by the gymnastics coach, who works with teenaged girls on both gymnastics and cheerleading squads. In this case, Ada county detectives claim that Nesbitt met his victims while working with the Borah (Idaho) High cheerleading squad and with independent gymnastics pupils.
"The arrest is a result of an investigation that began after deputies received information about alcohol provided to teens at a party at Nesbitt's home in the 2200 block of North Bluewater Place in Boise," Andrea Dearden of the Ada Co. Sheriff's office told KIVI.
"Through the course of the investigation, detectives learned Nesbitt has provided multiple teenagers with alcohol at numerous parties at his house. The investigation also revealed the gymnastics instructor had sexual contact with at least two females between the ages of 16 and 17."
The fact that there were multiple accounts of parties at Nesbitt's house accounts for the additional forthcoming charges against the man, who is only of the age of recent college graduates himself. Now he appears to have endangered his own future by attempting to seduce teenagers whom he could have been competing alongside just a few years earlier.
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