Figure Skater Bridget Namiotka Accuses Dead Partner John Coughlin Of Sexual Abuse

Bridget Namiotka, a former figure skater, accused her former partner John Coughlin of sexually abusing her for two years. Coughlin killed himself earlier this year.

In multiple Facebook posts Sunday evening, Namiotka said the late figure skater “hurt at least 10 people including me. He sexually abused me for 2 years. Nobody innocent hangs themselves. ”

She followed it up with three more posts.

“Someone that’s innocent doesn’t hang himself. Think about the victims when you’re speaking up for what he did to at least 10 girls,” she wrote in one post. “Think about all of the girls he hurt,” she wrote in the other post.

In the final post, she said, “Grooming happens. happened to me and he hurt a lot of girls. Think about the victims.”

USA Today reported that the two were partners from 2004 to 2007 during which they won three medals on the Junior Grand Prix series and also finished ninth at the U.S. national championships in 2007. Namiotka was between the ages of 14 and 17 at that time while Coughlin was 18 to 21.

Coughlin killed himself at his father’s home in Kansas City in January at the age of 33, a day after he was suspended by the U.S. Center for SafeSport over sexual misconduct charges. A few weeks before his death, Coughlin had denied all the allegations, calling them “unfounded.”

John Manly, an attorney representing several victims in the sexual abuse case involving former USA Gymnastics national team doctor Larry Nassar, confirmed to USA Today that he will represent Namiotka and two others who have accused the figure skater of abusing them when they were minors.

“My clients and I want to make this clear: John Coughlin used his position of trust and power and prominence in figure skating to sexually abuse multiple minors, three of whom I represent,” Manly told USA Today in March.

Calling Namiotka “unstable,” Coughlin’s former agent, Tara Modlin, said, “It seems that you want me to comment on an unstable persons Facebook comment — I don’t really understand your question. My suggestion is to call some of his other partners.”