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PARK CITY CITY — A USA Climbing coach who worked with athletes on the national stage is now facing serious criminal allegations. Matthew Maddison, a strength and conditioning coach for USA Climbing’s speed team, as well as its team manager, was arrested this week in Summit County and is being investigated for 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. [gallery ids="904257,904256,904255,904254"] According to court documents, the investigation began after a tip was reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Utah’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force eventually identified Maddison as the owner of a social media account involved in sharing child sexual abuse material. When agents served a search warrant at his Summit County home earlier this week, documents state Maddison admitted to owning the account. In the affidavit, investigators state, “in the messages Matthew had with other users on social media, he discussed being aroused by prepubescent children and abusing them. Matthew admitted he knew it was illegal to possess and distribute CSAM." Investigators also reported finding a significant amount of illegal material on his electronic devices. “Matthew's electronic devices were examined on scene and a large amount of CSAM was located. Additionally, Matthew distributed over 30 files of CSAM on the social media site,” the affidavit states. Court documents also note that Maddison’s job involved working directly with youth traveling across the country and internationally as a coach and mentor. Below are the court documents detailing the investigation. Reader discretion is advised, as the documents include disturbing and graphic details. It was just two months ago, during a USA Climbing coaches meeting, when Maddison talked about creating professional guidelines for athletes. “We're starting to set the new standard for the speed team, these higher standards that we're going to expect in the future. So, trying to get ahead of other teams in terms of professionalism,” Maddison said in that virtual meeting with other coaches.It a statement, USA Climbing said Maddison has been placed on unpaid administrative leave pending the resolution of this matter, and “while the charges appear to be unrelated to his coaching responsibilities, we are deeply disturbed by the allegations.” The organization stated it is cooperating with law enforcement and that athlete safety is its highest priority. “We are fill compliant with policy and compliance requirements through the U.S. Center for SafeSport, and all USAC employees undergo mandatory background checks,” the team said in its statement. Maddison remains in custody in the Summit County Jail.
Child abuse resources:
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465). Resources are also available online: udvc.org. The statewide child abuse and neglect hotline is 1-855-323-DCFS (3237).
Help with Children
Those who feel stressed out with a child, who need a break or who feel like they need counseling or training can reach out to one of the following agencies:
- The Family Support Center has 15 locations throughout the state and offers a free crisis nursery for parents who have to keep appointments or who are stressed out. They also offer counseling and family mentoring. Call 801-955-9110 or visit familysupportcenter.org/contact.php for more information.
- Prevent Child Abuse Utah provides home visiting in Weber, Davis, and Box Elder counties. Parent Educators provide support, education, and activities for families with young children. Their statewide education team offers diverse trainings on protective factors, digital safety, bullying, and child sex trafficking. They are available for in-person or virtual trainings and offer free online courses for the community at pcautah.org.
- The Office of Home Visiting works with local agencies to provide home visits to pregnant women and young families who would like to know more about being parents. Home visitors are trained and can provide information about breastfeeding, developmental milestones, toilet training, nutrition, mental health, home safety, child development, and much more. Find out more at homevisiting.utah.gov.
- The Safe Haven law allows birth parents in Utah to safely and anonymously give up custody of their newborn child at any hospital in the state, with no legal consequences and no questions asked. The child's mother can drop off the child, or the mother can ask someone else to do it for her. The newborns should be dropped off at hospitals that are open 24 hours a day. Newborns given up in this manner will be cared for by the hospital staff, and the Utah Division of Child and Family Services will find a home for the child. For more information, visit utahsafehaven.org or call the 24-hour hotline at 866-458-0058.
CSAM Prevention Resources and Victim Recovery:
- The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children provides support to children who are victims of child sexual exploitation through emotional peer support for families, content removal of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and help getting connected to therapists and attorneys. The NCMEC also provides a CyberTipline where CSAM can be reported. Visit https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/csam-resources for more information.
- The Utah Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force hosts a hub of resources for parents and offers local help to cases involving child sexual exploitation.
- RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) provides a guide of safety measures to take in order to prevent children from being targeted in CSAM cases.
- Thorn nonprofit organization creates products and programs that combat child sexual abuse at scale. It provides resources for families to help them identify the possible ways children can be exploited online, giving them proper terminology and statistics to keep them educated. For more information, visit https://www.thorn.org/research/child-sexual-abuse-material-csam/
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465). Resources are also available online: udvc.org. The statewide child abuse and neglect hotline is 1-855-323-DCFS (3237).
