Ridgewood Gymnastics Coach Sexually Assaulted Child Athlete: Prosecutor

RIDGEWOOD, N.J. — A former village gymnastics coach was arrested for sexually assaulting one of his athletes multiple times over the course of two years, authorities announced Tuesday.

Thomas Waddell, 54, of Ridgewood, was arrested at his home without incident 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. The victim was younger than 13 when the alleged assaults occurred, Sheets said.

Waddell was working at the now-defunct Eastern Gymnastics Academy in Cranford in 1989 when he first started coaching the victim. He was living in Cranford at the time, according to investigators.

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, Sheets said.

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

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 as conditions of his bail.

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.

Reporting by Alexis Tarrazi

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