A gymnastics coach at a gym who was acquitted 10 years ago on sex charges involving minors is facing new allegations in Virginia, where he is charged with several sex offenses against underage girls.
Maurice “Moe” Jerralds, 33, was indicted in Henrico County in November on eight counts of taking indecent liberties with two teenage girls between 2007 and 2010. He was arrested Dec. 1 in Prince William County and is being held without bail.
In 2001, Jerralds was charged in Henrico and Chesterfield counties with similar offenses. He was accused of groping female students and pulling down their shorts to check the alignment of their hips. Jerralds was acquitted in both cases and received broad support in the community, according to news reports. Defense witnesses called into question the credibility and histories of the accusers.
Jerralds was hired in May as director of program development by All Star Fusion, a gym that offers cheer and dance instruction to youth 18 and under, according to the gym’s website.
The announcement of Jerralds’ hiring was removed from the site this week.
All Star Fusion owner Pierre Bobet told the Richmond Times-Dispatch earlier this week that Jerralds came to his gym with a good reputation among other coaches and was respected by his staff.
Bobet said he knew about the arrests from a background check and discussed the matter with Jerralds before hiring him.
Bobet wouldn’t comment further, but an email sent to parents this week states that coaches are not left alone with students.
“We do not feel any of our athletes were put in danger,” the email says. “If you feel this isn’t the case, please talk to your athlete to determine your personal assessment.”
The email also expresses support for Jerralds.
“With that said, we believe in Moe and his friendships with our coaches and athletes,” it says. “Please know the safety of our athletes is our number 1 priority. We don’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable at any point in time. However, sometimes one person’s perception of something is different from the next.”
Jerralds is scheduled to appear in Henrico Circuit Court on Dec. 14 for a bail review hearing, according to the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, which declined to discuss the details of the case.
