Former Gymnastics Coach Sexually Assaulted Child Athlete: Police

CRANFORD, NJ — A former gymnastics coach was arrested for sexually assaulting one of his athletes when she was under the age of 13 multiple times in Cranford and Mays Landing, authorities alleged Tuesday.

Thomas Waddell, 54, of Ridgewood, formally of Cranford, was arrested at his home without incident on Friday, acting Union County Prosecutor Grace H. Park and Cranford Police Chief James Wozniak jointly announced.

An investigation was launched after the victim wrote a letter to the New Jersey State Police describing the crimes committed against her, said Union County Assistant Prosecutor Michael Sheets, who is prosecuting the case.

Waddell was working at the defunct Eastern Gymnastics Academy in Cranford in 1989 when he first started coaching the victim. He was at the time a Cranford resident, according to the investigation.

Waddell allegedly sexually assaulted the victim multiple times over the course of the next two years, both in multiple private homes and at the Perfect Balance Gymnastics Academy in Mays Landing, Atlantic County, where he started working in the early 1990s, according to Sheets.

He also gave the victim various pieces of jewelry and other items as gifts, telling her how much he cared for her, according to Sheets.

Bail for Waddell was set at $75,000 with no cash allowance, and he was ordered not to contact the victim and to surrender his passport.

Waddell could face 10 to 20 years in state prison on the first-degree crimes and five to 10 years for the second-degree crimes.

Anyone with information about Waddell’s activities is being urged to contact Special Victims Unit Detective Brian O'Malley at 908-220- 4323 or Cranford Police Detective Spencer Durkin at 908-709- 7346.

Image via Union County Prosecutor's Office: Thomas Waddell, 54, of Ridgewood, formally of Cranford

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