- Ryan Kebblewhite charged with historical sex offences
- Alleged offences on the Gold Coast and Adelaide
- Matter was adjourned in court until March 4
A renowned Aussie junior tennis coach has been charged with a number of child sex offences – including rape.
Ryan Keith Kebblewhite, 38, was mentoring talented youngsters during a tournament at the KDV Sport Centre on the Gold Coast on Sunday, February 9 when he was arrested.
It followed a detailed investigation into allegations of multiple historic child sex offences on the Gold Coast as well as in Adelaide, according to News Corp.
‘Police will allege the man repeatedly offended against a child, known to him through involvement in a sport academy,’ a police spokeswoman said.
‘Police have now charged a 38-year-old Burleigh Heads man with two counts each of rape and indecent treatment of a child under 16, and one count of grooming child under 16 years.’
In a message sent to parents this week, KDV Sport Tennis Academy manager Ross Taylor confirmed ‘an ongoing situation involving one of our staff members’ resulted in an employee being stood down.
Aussie junior tennis coach Ryan Kebblewhite has been charged with a number of child sex offences – including rape
The father of two was mentoring talented youngsters during a tournament at the KDV Sport Centre on the Gold Coast on Sunday, February 9 when he was arrested
Kebblewhite appeared in Southport Magistrates Court where his case was adjourned until March 4
‘A police investigation is currently under way and, as a precautionary measure, the individual will be stood down from their duties while the matter is fully investigated,’ he said.
‘As this matter is under investigation, we are unable to share specific details at this time until a full investigation has been conducted.
‘However, we want to emphasise that we are taking this situation very seriously and the staff member is being fully co-operative with police.
‘Your trust and satisfaction are incredibly important to us, and we will keep you updated with any relevant developments.
‘We greatly appreciate your understanding and continued support during this process.’
The KDV Sports Centre – worth a reported $20million – features state of the art facilities for rising stars including 20 tennis courts, a gym and fitness centre, swimming pool and day spa.
Lleyton Hewitt’s son Cruz has often trained at the elite tennis academy in Carrara.
Kebblewhite, a father of two, has been employed as a coach at KDV for several years.
He appeared in Southport Magistrates Court on February 10 where his case was adjourned until March 4.
