OCALA, Fla. — Ocala police say a skating coach sexually abused a teenage victim, and they believe there could be other victims.
Police arrested 62-year-old Richard Hawkins after a 16-year-old victim came forward to report the abuse.
According to a police report, the victim was a family friend who spent the night at Hawkins’s apartment Saturday when the abuse occurred.
The victim told police that he woke up exposed and thought he was drugged.
Police said Hawkins tried to block the door as that victim went to leave the apartment.
According to the report, the victim’s father called Hawkins after he learned about the alleged abuse, and Hawkins allegedly stated that whatever the victim told him “Was true.”
Channel 9 learned Hawkins is a co-owner of Skate a Way South, a local skating rink in Ocala, where police say Hawkins also coached youth skating.
According to the venue’s social media, the skating rink was home to a competitive team, and kids as young as 6 years old trained for local, regional and national competitions.
The venue also hosts fundraisers, children’s birthday parties and a competitive team.
“You don’t know where these abusers might be working. So that’s why it’s so important that you have to be vigilant,” said Ocala Mayor Ben Marciano.
Marciano said that, as a father of three, the arrest was particularly disturbing.
“I’m sickened by it,” said Marciano, “We are going to use every resource in our police department to find people. If they are committing crimes against kids, we’re going to find them and their ass is going to jail.”
Channel 9 reached out to the other owner of Skate Away South, who stated he had “no comment” at this time.
Meanwhile, Ocala Police stated in part:
“We take these allegations very seriously and are fully committed to protecting our community, especially our children. Due to his role and access to children and the seriousness of this offense, we are concerned about the possibility of additional victims. We encourage anyone with relevant information or similar experiences involving Mr. Hawkins to come forward and contact law enforcement.”
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