A former US Olympic gymnastics coach facing child sexual abuse charges has been found dead in his jail cell of suspected suicide, say authorities.
Marvin Sharp was arrested on 24 August in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he operated a prominent gymnastics academy.
The 49-year-old was being held on four counts of child molestation and three counts of sexual misconduct with a minor.
He was found unresponsive on Saturday night in his cell at the Marion County Jail, sheriff’s office spokeswoman Katie Carlson said.
An investigation was being conducted into the inmate’s death, but foul play was not suspected, Ms Carlson added. She did not provide any other details on his death.
Sharp trained two members of the 2008 US women’s Olympic gymnastics team, and was named USA Gymnastics Coach of the Year in 2010.
Prosecutors alleged that Sharp repeatedly inappropriately touched a girl he had coached for two years from the time she was 12 years old.
He was also accused of producing explicit photographs of at least six female students as young as six years old from his academy, dating back to 2002.
Investigators found thousands of graphic images of minors in locked safes inside Sharp’s Indianapolis home and at his gymnastics business, prosecutors said.
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Source: Sky news