Former Gymnastics Coach In Jenks Accused Of Molesting Underage Athletes

Tulsa Police arrested a former coach at South County Gymnastics in Jenks, accused of sexually abusing young athletes he trained, an affidavit said.

Documents said Jean-Luc Cairon is accused of abusing several underage girls he coached, starting in the early 1990s until January 2021. According to the affidavit, the abuse occurred for more than three decades and the kids ranged in age from 10 to 14 years old.

According to the affidavit, a 13-year-old girl disclosed Cairon sexually abused her for three years, starting when she was 10 years old. She said it happened inside a home.

Documents said a second victim told investigators she was 14 years old when Cairon started abusing her for almost a year. Documents said she said while he was coaching her at SOCO, while “spotting her,” he touched her inappropriately “too often to be accidental.” 

According to the affidavit, a third victim said she was 14 years old when she was raped by Cairon at the apartment where she lived.

The affidavit said SOCO called in a referral to U.S. SafeSport because of an allegation. Cairon was entered into the SafeSport Centralized Disciplinary Database for allegations of misconduct, resulting in his temporary suspension. He was terminated from SOCO.

The affidavit said detectives also spoke to two older athletes who said they were abused by Cairon years ago, now past the statute of limitations to file any criminal charges.

SOCO sent News On 6 a statement regarding the incident.

“We are saddened to learn of the charges facing a former employee. Our athlete’s safety is our utmost priority. We have multiple measures in place to ensure a safe training environment. We follow all USAG and Safesport policies, including 3rd party background checks and Safesport certification courses. 

In addition, we have our own policies and procedures to include: 3-person rule; there must never be two people alone by themselves in the gym; all coaches must use a designated coach/staff restroom; visible cameras are located throughout the gym; open gym to parents; parents are encouraged to watch practices.

-South County Gymnastics”

Records show Cairon was hired as a gymnastic coach at Arizona State University in 2008. The University’s website said he was a member of the French Olympic team for the 1984 and 1988 Summer Olympic Games and holds three national titles, 1983, 1984 and 1987.

Police are asking for any additional victims to contact them.