Twin Cities Wrestling Coach Accused Of Inappropriately Touching Girls
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Twin Cities wrestling coach is accused of inappropriately touching girls, with two victims telling investigators he touched their genitals over their clothing.
Mustafa Shabazz, of Burnsville, was charged via summons this week with one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, court documents filed in Hennepin County show. Shabazz, 43, is slated to make his first court appearance Friday.
According to a criminal complaint, Eden Prairie and Shakopee police began investigating Shabazz in February after an 8-year-old girl told her parents that Shabazz would touch her genitals over her clothing while demonstrating wrestling techniques at an Eden Prairie facility.
Shabazz would claim the touching was accidental, the girl told police. However, the touching happened several times.
The girl began her training with Shabazz in 2018, and refused to return to practice in early 2019 following an injury. Months later, she told her parents about the touching.
Because Shabazz is more than 30 years older than the girl and was in a position of authority, prosecutors in Hennepin County are seeking an aggravated sentence. The normal maximum sentence for second-degree criminal sexual conduct is 25 years in prison.
According to the complaint, investigators say that Shabazz resigned from another wrestling program in 2019 after allegations surfaced that he had caressed an adolescent girl's back.
The victim later told investigators that Shabazz would touch her genitals over her clothing while at wrestling tournaments. According to the girl, Shabazz told her that if she told anyone about the touching, no one would believe her.
Additionally, investigators say that Shabazz was dismissed from a job working with children in 2013 after allegedly having inappropriate contact with a 14-year-old girl, which included a meeting at a motel room.
