FORMER OLYMPIAN DAVID THOMPSON JAILED IN LIVERPOOL FOR UNDER-AGE SEXUAL OFFENSES

In August 2008, David Thompson, a former Olympian and martial arts instructor from Liverpool, was sentenced to four years in prison after admitting to sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl. Thompson, aged 39 at the time and a British Tae Kwon Do champion, had been coaching the girl for approximately two and a half years.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that Thompson had molested the teenager in July 2007 after giving her a lift home following a training session. Prosecutor Claire Jones explained that the girl, a father of four, invited Thompson into her bedroom to show him her new bed, where he groped her.

Several months later, after the girl turned 15, the pair were alone at the gym, and Thompson again groped her before engaging in oral sex. During police interviews, the victim admitted she consented, stating, “It was good because it was an older man, it was exciting. I wanted it to happen. I don’t know if I loved him, but I loved the fact I was having a relationship with this man.”

The misconduct was uncovered when a teacher became concerned after the girl wrote a school essay describing their sexual relationship. Initially, Thompson denied all allegations of indecent behavior. However, he later accepted one charge of sexual activity after forensic evidence was presented. On the day of his trial, Thompson, of Jubilee Drive, Kensington, pleaded guilty to an additional two counts of sexual activity.