Central Coast Gymnastics coach arrested on suspicion of child pornography
One of the men arrested this week on suspicion of possessing and distributing child pornography was a longtime coach at a San Luis Obispo gymnastics club.
Rion Page, 31, worked for 13 years at Central Coast Gymnastics, most recently as the program director and head coach of the acrobatic gymnastics team, which is made up of about 22 athletes ages 8 to 18, gym owner Mimi Phene-McKellar told The Tribune.
Page remained in San Luis Obispo County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail as of Thursday evening.
“I’m completely and utterly shocked and stunned,” Phene-McKellar said of her response to the arrest.
She notified the families of Central Coast Gymnastics about the arrest in two emails on Wednesday and said that Page has been placed on leave.
“I am doing my best to wrap my head and my heart around this,” she wrote. “Please, please do what you feel is necessary for your child and your family. We are here for you and want to help anyway we can.”
Page was one of two men arrested Wednesday after officers served search warrants at three locations in San Luis Obispo and Atascadero, according to a news release from the Atascadero Police Department.
The warrants were served at around 7:30 a.m. at locations in the 0-100 block of Zaca Lane and the 3900 block of Kilbern Way in San Luis Obispo, as well as at a residence in the 9100 block of Willow Court in Atascadero.
No evidence of child pornography found at Central Coast Gymnastics
Police searched the computers at the gym but did not find any evidence of child pornography, according to Terrie Banish, the Atascadero Police Department’s spokesperson.
Phene-McKellar said the arrest has been troubling because she “never would have ever thought he’d get mixed up with this.”
Phene-McKellar told The Tribune she’s spoken to athletes and their parents to ask whether anyone had ever observed or experienced inappropriate behavior by Page, but no one reported anything.
“We’ve never had issues, ever, with Rion,” Phene-McKellar said.
A counselor will also be speaking with athletes both to provide emotional support and to ensure no one was harmed, Phene-McKellar said.
The gym has “very, very strict policies in place,” she added, noting that coaches are not allowed to be alone with athletes at any time and there are cameras posted nearly everywhere. Additionally, because Page was a USA Gymnastics competition coach, he was required to undergo a background check every year, Phene-McKellar said.
“Our utmost and most important goal is the safety of the athletes,” she said.
Phene-McKellar has reported the arrest to USA Gymnastics, which will conduct its own investigation.
Second person arrested worked at SLO moving company
The second man arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of possessing and distributing child pornography, 29-year-old Bryce McGhie, appeared to have made bail by Thursday afternoon, according to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office “Who’s in Custody” webpage.
McGhie worked at ASAP Movers, a San Luis Obispo-based moving company, as a sales and commercial move specialist.
“Our thoughts and sympathies are with any victims and their families during this difficult time,” wrote ASAP Movers’ President and CEO Kasey Fox in an emailed statement to The Tribune. “We are deeply troubled by the recent charges brought against Bryce McGhie, whose arrest we were made aware of on Wednesday.
“We were shocked and saddened to learn of these serious accusations, which are completely contrary to the values and principles upheld by our company,” Fox continued. “We are dedicated to maintaining a safe and respectful environment for everyone associated with ASAP Movers.
“We have no reason to believe, aside from an employee/employer relationship with the accused, that our company is connected with these charges in any way,” the statement said. “Law enforcement has not reached out, but should they do so, we will cooperate fully with their investigation.”
Fox noted that the “safety and well-being of our employees, customers and the community are of utmost importance (to ASAP Movers).”
All of the employees at the company are background-checked and vetted, and there had never been indications of inappropriate behavior by McGhie, Fox wrote in his statement.
“He has been considered a model employee and family man,” Fox wrote. “The charges against Bryce are not consistent with the person we have come to know.”
Fox noted that McGhie was placed on leave while the police continue the investigation.
Tip led to arrests of two SLO County men
The investigation into McGhie and Page started from a tip received from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline, Banish said. That tip was relayed to the Atascadero Police Department, she added.
“Forensic downloads are still being conducted, however, the initial search of one of the located storage devices has revealed possession of confirmed child sexual abuse material (CSAM), commonly referred to as child pornography,” Banish wrote in an email to The Tribune. “Forensic downloads of seized devices and subsequent review are still in progress.”
Anyone with information on the case should call the Atascadero Police Department at 805-461-5051.
This story was originally published October 26, 2023 at 6:02 PM.
