In a truly tragic all-around story, assistant high school swim coach Daniel Weggel was arrested on Tuesday after police found photos of nude children. Hours later, hsi body was found in Lake Wissota in what investigators believe to be a suicide after finding a suicide note left by the 32-year old.
According to local news site WEAU.com, Eau Claire County Sheriff Ron Cramer says that the images are of girls between ages 8 and 17, and investigators have already spoken to parents of potential victims. The images were found on Weggel’s cell phone, a flash drive, and a computer.
“Right now, what the investigation is about is finding the victims and notifying their parents,” Sheriff Ron Cramer said.
Weggel had been the assistant with the boys North/Memorial High School since 2007. The Memorial boys finished 3rd at the 2013 State Championship meet and have won every conference championship since 1993.
Update: USA Swimming confirmed this evening that Weggel was last a member of their organization in 2005.
Joseph Verrier still Rome the streets look him up!!!!
Thanks for posting that, ANON. Pretty gutsy of Berkoff to write that post given the information you just linked…
PAC12BACKER, I find your comment offensive for the simple reason that it boxes ALL swim coaches into the category of pedophiles. That’s just plain ignorant. It’s akin to claiming all Mexicans are drug dealers because of the drug cartel murders in USA-Mexico border towns. The VAST majority of swim coaches are honorable, good men and women who get into coaching because they love this sport and want to make a positive influence on the lives of children. Yes, there are bad coaches. Yes, we are hearing about abuse incidents. Yes, victims of abuse are finally feeling as though they can come forward and something will be done. But that is not a reflection of all coaches involved in this sport.… Read more »
Berkoff,
USA swimming has put more money into their PR program to help clubs fight the ‘adverse affects and negative publicity’ of sexual abuse. An internal memo from your own Chuck Wielgus outlines a ‘stategy’ to treat sexual abuse as a ‘PR headache’.
See the following:
http://www.momsteam.com/usa-swimming/usa-swimming-response-sexual-abuse-by-coaches-treat-it-as-public-relations-headache#ixzz2b7i3or2B
USA Swimming turns a blind eye until ‘the crap hits the fan’, then all you guys do is spin control…
Take a look at this page from Bob Allards law office:
http://www.cmalaw.net/Firm-Overview/USA-Swimming-Sex-Abuse-Case.shtml
Care to weigh in on any of this? Your name has been linked more than once with covering up some these abuse claims…
Agree that most coaches are perfectly fine, honroable men/women. with a certain passion for this sport However, there are more than a few bad apples that spoil it for the rest.
Berkhoff made a comparison with Mexico drug cartels. But would anyone knowing what has been happening there freely travel within Mexico or would you take safety precautions or avoid the place alltogether?
At this snapshot in time within USA Swimming I advise all swimmers to be careful and for even honorable coaches to not put themselves in situations that may be perceived incorrectly and misconstrued. A coouple recent cases come to mind of coaches perhaps either falsely accused. or exaggerated. accounts.
What is wrong with these swim coaches? What is it about swimming that attracts these pedophiles? Seems like swmming is in the news all the time – and not in a good way. Move over gymnastic coaches, swim coaches have got you beat.
Yes this was on the Brit Daily Mail site yesterday under their US section.
Sad. Hopefully the girls and their families can find a way to put this behind them. There are too many of these sickos. I want to say the pervert did the right thing and killed himself, but that’s still another family destroyed by this pedophile…
Yup way too many but one less now. Another Appleton swim was also convicted of the same crime. An he’s doin it again right now an no one is doin anything about it