Gymnastics coach accused of sexual abuse remained in Chicago-area gyms for decades
A former Mexican Olympian and longtime youth gymnastics coach remained in Chicago-area gyms for decades despite multiple accusations of sexual abuse.
Alex Ruppenthal
Gena Romagnoli went to police in 1997 and reported that her former gymnastics coach, an Olympian named Jose Vilchis, had sexually abused her for nearly two years starting when she was 12. Nothing happened.
Cayla Panzer went to police in 2014 and said Vilchis has sexually abused her for months when she was 16. Again, nothing happened.
For 20 years, records show that Vilchis moved from one Chicago-area gym to another, despite multiple reports accusing him of sexually abusing young female gymnasts who trained with him.
After USA Gymnastics banned Vilchis in late 2017, WTTW News started digging into his history of alleged abuse. After being contacted by the news outlet, police in southwest suburban Channahon reopened a prior investigation into Vilchis.
In fall 2018, Vilchis was charged with 14 counts of criminal sexual assault and four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. His trial is scheduled to begin in June 2019.
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Two days after her 17th birthday, Cayla Panzer says she was driving home from gymnastics practice when she got a disturbing text message from her coach. “Don’t tell anyone about it,” the text said.
Chicago-area gymnastics coach arrested on sexual assault charges
More than two decades after first being accused of sexual abuse, a longtime Chicago-area gymnastics coach was arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a teenage girl who trained with him in the far southwest suburbs.
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Jose Vilchis, 68, is charged with 14 counts of criminal sexual assault and four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse for incidents that occurred between Dec. 1, 2013, and March 1, 2014, at I&M Gymnastics in Channahon.
