Payson wrestling coach faces 19 felony charges

PAYSON — An assistant high school wrestling coach arrested last week in Utah County and accused of abusing student-athletes now faces nearly 20 felony charges.

Chayce Gerald Loveless, 28, of Payson, was charged Tuesday in 4th District Court with solicitation of a minor, a first-degree felony; and 18 counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony.

Loveless, who was a wrestling coach at Payson High School from 2020 until his arrest and subsequent firing last week, is accused of inappropriately touching two former members of the wrestling team in 2022.

One victim "disclosed that when he wrestled with (Loveless) during his senior year, at least 15 times the defendant grabbed his genitals and held onto them, sometimes pulling on them. (The victim) said one time (Loveless) told him 'I will let you go if you call me daddy,'" according to charging documents.

Loveless also contacted the victim on Snapchat and requested inappropriate pictures, the charges state.

A second former wrestler told investigators that he too was inappropriately grabbed "three different times" by Loveless while at practice, according to the charges.

A police booking affidavit says detectives also spoke to a third victim who claimed Loveless requested explicit pictures from him while the victim was still in high school and "was really pushy about it. Victim 3 stated he could not remember exactly, but Chayce either offered him money, food dash, or something to do with a video game."

When questioned by detectives, Loveless admitted "he had solicited four minor males at the time for nude pictures. Three of the minors at the time were wrestlers at Payson High School where he was (at the time) one of the assistant coaches," according to the affidavit.

Payson police released a prepared statement saying "there is a high likelihood of additional victims" and encouraged anyone with information to contact them.

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