A Connecticut cheerleading coach who thought it was OK to exchange naked picture of himself with a 15-year old girl because he had witnessed her smoking and drinking at a party has been arrested. Manuel Batson of Ansonia, Connecticut, rented space to teach cheerleading at the Northeast Tropics Gym in Brookfield, Connecticut.
The Stamford Advocate reports:
Police said the girl had begun cheerleading at the gym in July. During some of the practices police said that Batson would flirt with the girl and later struck up a relationship with her on Facebook.
Police said Batson persuaded the girl to send him four nude photos of herself in exchange for him sending three nude photos to her. Police said the girl later told them that she was afraid if she didn’t exchange nude photos with Batson, “It would make cheer practice really weird.”
Police said Batson admitted to them he sent nude photos of himself to the girl, but claimed he thought she was older because she told him she had been at a party smoking and drinking and teenagers in his family don’t do that sort of thing until they are of the proper age.
Fallon Grady, owner of the gym, said when she was informed about the issue she told Batson she would not rent space to him any longer. She said Batson coached three girls at the gym, though the 15-year-old was not one of the girls he coached. Monroe police said Batson was the girl’s coach.
A Twitter account with the name Manuel Batson that has been active since at least 2009 has a tweet that reads:
and another that reads:
Both are dated December 16, the same date as the story in the Advocate and the Connecticut papers.