Newsletter Signup
Stay up to date on all the latest news from Boston.com
‘Beyond diabolical’: Ex-Olympian pleads guilty to abusing boys at Western Mass. camp in the 1970s
Prosecutors said Conrad Mainwaring used his Olympic status to abuse and coerce young boys, relying on a familiar pattern of secrecy and deceit.
With some of his victims looking on, a former Olympian and longtime track coach pleaded guilty Thursday to sexually assaulting several boys while working at a Western Massachusetts summer camp in the 1970s.
Conrad Mainwaring, 72, faced 12 counts of indecent assault and battery on a child over 14 and four counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14. The charges involved nine victims, with allegations dating back to his time as a counselor at the sports-minded Camp Greylock in Becket.
Previously:
The abuse came to light after ESPN identified more than 50 men who said Mainwaring molested them when they were boys or young men — accusations spanning several states and ranging from the 1970s to as recently as 2016. Massachusetts State Police detectives started investigating Mainwaring after ESPN published its in-depth report in 2019.
Advertisement:
Mainwaring competed for Antigua and Barbuda as a hurdler at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. At Camp Greylock between 1975 and 1979, prosecutors said he used his Olympic status to abuse and coerce young boys, relying on a familiar pattern of secrecy and deceit.
“The grooming before the abuse was disturbing,” said David Sweet, one of his victims. “His mind games and double entendres — it really makes me mad how much time I spent with him that summer, getting up early in the morning to train with ‘The Squad,’ with hopes of becoming an Olympian like Conrad.”
Advertisement:
Reading his victim impact statement aloud in court, Sweet recalled the nickname Mainwaring gave him at summer camp.
“He called me ‘Face,’ because I had a handsome face, I guess. I was 13,” Sweet said. “Do you remember that, Conrad? Well, I hope you remember this face for a long, long time.”
Sitting in a wheelchair, Mainwaring stared at the ground as Sweet and other victims spoke, occasionally fidgeting with his hands.
Tym De Santo said Mainwaring was “incredibly brilliant at convincing people that this was all part of the training, and that my ability to resist physical stimulation was the only way I could achieve my goals of athletic excellence.”
Michael Waxman explained how the abuse left him feeling ashamed and disgusted.
“You stole part of my childhood, part of my innocence and frivolity. And you made me think badly about myself,” he said. “Conrad, I was a really, really good kid. … I didn’t deserve to feel shame. I didn’t deserve to feel disgusted with myself. You did, and you do. Shame on you.”
Judge John Agostini sentenced Mainwaring to 10-11 years in the state’s Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center, with credit for the nearly three years he spent in confinement during his court proceedings. He was also sentenced to three years of probation upon his release, with orders to undergo a sex offender evaluation, have no contact with minors, comply with the sex offender registry, and stay away from his victims.
Advertisement:
“I realize that given Mr. Mainwaring’s age, that this is probably a life sentence, that this is not something that has been done lightly,” Agostini said.
John Shapiro, one of Mainwaring’s victims, had urged the court to “put him behind bars for as long as possible.” Mainwaring’s abuse haunts not only his victims, but their loved ones as well, he said.
“It’s beyond diabolical, the pain and suffering of so many,” Shapiro said. “It’s why he must be put behind bars and be prevented from ever harming anyone again.”
He added: “I will never forgive him. Monsters should not be forgiven, only caged.”
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com