WASHINGTON — A man who has been an area swim coach for nearly 30 years has been charged with sexual abuse, and police say they are worried there may be more victims.
Christopher Huott, 53, the founder and owner of the Maryland Suburban Swim Club in Laurel, Md., was arrested Thursday by Montgomery County police. Huott, of Fulton, faces second and third degree sex offense charges, as well as a child abuse charge.
Huott is also listed as a member of the Board of Review of Potomac Valley Swimming in McLean, Va., which describes itself as the governing body for competitive swimming in the Washington, D.C., area.
A woman came forward last month saying she had been abused by Huott as a child while he was coaching her. A Montgomery County police spokesman confirms to WTOP that Huott is accused of abusing the girl between 1984 and 1989, with the alleged abuse starting when she was 7 years old.
Huott is accused of inappropriately touching her while she sat in his lap, showered or slept. Police say the incidents occurred in Montgomery County and that Huott also served as the child’s babysitter.
Montgomery County police are concerned because Huott’s job has put him in contact with numerous children. They are asking anyone with additional information to contact their Family Crimes Division.
The Maryland Suburban Swim Club is based out of the Fairland Sports and Aquatics Complex in Laurel. According to the group’s website, it was founded by Huott in 1986. Its mission statement emphasizes the values of “self-discipline, training, cooperation, responsibility, self-respect and respect for others.”
Huott was held on $50,000 bond.
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