Eden Prairie Figure Skating Coach Charged With Sexually Assaulting Student
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A 47-year-old St. Louis Park man who is a figure skating coach is accused of sexually abusing one of his female students, according to charges filed in Hennepin County Court.
Thomas Joseph Incantalupo is charged with one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and four counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct in connection with the case.
The charges state Incantalupo repeatedly sexually assaulted one of his students, who was 14 years old when the abuse started. According to a complaint, Incantalupo started coaching the girl when she was about 9 years old. The girl traveled with Incantalupo across the country for training and competition, often alone.
"This is just hideous," Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said. "This is such a shock to me that someone would do this, systematically, over a three-year period of time."
The complaint states the sexual abuse began in 2015, when the girl was 14 years old and they traveled to Connecticut for training. They were staying at the home of another figure skating coach when Incantalupo slipped into her room one night and assaulted her.
According to the complaint, the abuse continued when Incantalupo took the girl to Argentina for coaching seminars he taught where she demonstrated movements.
The complaint states last September, he took the girl from the practice rink in Eden Prairie to a hotel and sexually abused her there and brought her back to the rink in time for her parents to pick her up. He did the same thing in October, November and December.
The girl told a friend what was happening. Her parents became aware, and went to police. At police requests, the girl wore a wire and when she met Incantalupo at the rink, she told him she no longer wanted sexual contact from him. He acknowledged the hotel visits and the sexual contact in the recording and was arrested by Eden Prairie police.
"This one I'm going to personally watch and try to make sure he does the time he deserves," Freeman said.
Incantalupo will make his first court appearance on Friday. He's currently being held on $500,000 bond.
Joel Papa, president of the Eden Prairie Figure Skating Club, said in a statement Thursday that Incantalupo's coaching privileges have been revoked.
"We want to be very clear, the protection and safety of our members is paramount and we will take all appropriate actions to accomplish this objective," Papa said. "We want to assure our parents, skaters, and our community that we will do everything possible to support our membership and our skating community at this time."
Papa said the club will fully cooperate in Incantalupo's investigation.