LAKELAND, Fla. — A former gymnastics coach was arrested Wednesday by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office after admitting to sexual intercourse with a minor he once coached.
The investigation began as a missing person case, as detectives searched for the now-adult victim who had failed to appear for a court-ordered detox program. Deputies located her at the home of 28-year-old Alexander Katchalov in Lakeland, who was her former gymnastics coach at Elite World Gymnastics.
Authorities say Katchalov confessed to having sexual intercourse with the victim twice when she was just 15 years old.
Katchalov is already a registered sex offender and on probation after a 2017 conviction for possessing child pornography.
On July 16, he was arrested and charged with lewd battery, failure to comply with sex offender registration, and violating probation.
Due to his former coaching role and potential for additional victims, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office urges anyone victimized by Katchalov to contact detectives in their Special Victims Unit.
This remains an active investigation.
