Gymnastics coach arrested again after new sex-crime complaint involving a minor

Israeli police said Tuesday they arrested gymnastics coach Evgeny Yordanov, 51, of Kiryat Ono, on suspicion of serious sex offenses against a woman in her 20s that allegedly took place when she was a minor. Officers said the complaint concerns acts carried out several years ago over an extended period, and Yordanov is due to appear the same day for a remand hearing at Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court.

The new arrest came after a fresh complaint was filed against him following last week’s indictment for similar offenses involving two other girls he coached in Petah Tikva. Yordanov had already remained in custody after that indictment, and police said the latest complaint led to his rearrest.

On Sunday last week, the Tel Aviv District Prosecutor’s Office filed an indictment in the Tel Aviv District Court accusing him of multiple sex offenses against the two gymnasts, both of whom were under 16 at the time. The charges cover 2016 to 2020 and include rape, indecent acts, invasion of privacy and blackmail by threats.

According to the indictment, Yordanov coached the complainants together with his wife, and in one case one of the girls traveled with the team to training camps and competitions abroad while under his full care. Prosecutors wrote that he “exploited his position and the fact that he was responsible for minors,” and that he committed indecent acts involving touching their bodies without their consent.