More British athletes convicted in connection with Baptiste case

Three former British athletes were convicted in Morocco as part of an investigation into the sexual assault of a minor by a sprinting coach, BBC Sport can reveal.

The prosecutions led to the imprisonment of Leon Baptiste, a UK Athletics coach and 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist for England in the 200m.

Baptiste was originally reported as missing in Morocco in some media articles published on 14 August, before a BBC Sport investigation revealed his conviction and jailing.

Now, court rulings seen by BBC Sportshed more light on other convictions relating to the same case.

Two-time Commonwealth silver medallist hurdler Will Sharman, his brother and ex-bobsleigh athlete Richard Sharman, and fellow former bobsleigh competitor Lamin Deen, who were all on holiday with Baptiste, were convicted of participating in the enticement of a minor.

Also convicted of the same offence were acquaintances Ashley O'Leary Jones and David Tuck.

The group said via their lawyers that they were never arrested and were unaware of their convictions until informed of them by BBC Sport.

A spokesperson for all five men told BBC Sport: "William, Richard, Lamin, David and Ashley are shocked and distressed by the circumstances in which they have unexpectedly found themselves.

"They reject any suggestion that they knowingly engaged in unlawful or improper conduct. They left Morocco believing they had complied with all requirements placed upon them.

"At the time, they understood that they had paid an administrative fine equivalent to approximately £40 and that the matter had concluded."

BBC Sport understands that police raided a villa in Tamensourt on the outskirts of Marrakech after a girl contacted them claiming she had been brought to the property, had not been paid money she was promised in exchange for sex with Baptiste, and that she had been assaulted by a housekeeper after she was accused of stealing a watch.

Baptiste, 41, was subsequently convicted of sexual assault of a minor and given a 10-month prison sentence, which was subsequently reduced to eight months on appeal.

Court documents refer to the girl as being 16 years old and say she suffered "psychological trauma, sexual exploitation, physical assault and injury, and the violation of her human dignity".

Court records show that in June the five men were given suspended sentences of four months and fines of 500 dirhams (£40) each after being convicted of participating in the enticement of a minor.

All five men were acquitted of a separate charge of inciting a minor to engage in prostitution.

The Morocco presidency of the public ministry, which oversees prosecutions in the country, provided BBC Sport with the court judgement regarding the group, which reads: "The defendants were in the company of [Leon Baptiste] and were seated at the same table as the minor, alongside her.

"They thereby assisted him in deceiving the minor and persuading her to engage in sexual relations [with Baptiste]. This constitutes participation in the enticement of a minor.

"The court found them guilty on this count and decided to convict them for these acts."

The group had already left Morocco by the time the decision was handed down. Their convictions and sentences were upheld after an appeal hearing in July.

In a response provided by their lawyers to BBC Sport, the Sharman brothers, Deen, O’Leary Jones and Tuck say they visited the Montecristo nightclub based on a recommendation provided by their driver, and had no reason to believe it was anything other than a respectable establishment.

They say they were unaware of the girl's age and that some members of the group do not even recall seeing her in the nightclub. The villa they were staying in was vast and the interaction between the men and Mr Baptiste while inside the villa was limited.

They also say that they were not present in court on any occasion, that the court process was not in English and that it was not explained to them.

The spokesperson continued: "What has unfolded over recent months has been a distressing and incoherent saga.

"They did not properly understand the proceedings and were completely shocked on being told that they were the subject of a criminal conviction, when that is not how they understood it."

Companies House records and a biography on one of O'Leary Jones' social media profiles show he is a director of a company operating five children's care homes in Greater Manchester.

Tuck's social media biography indicates he is a military veteran, while a CV posted online lists experience coaching women's and children's football clubs including at Stoke City, Apollon Limassol in Cyprus, and Orlando Pride in the USA.

When asked by BBC Sport to comment on the convictions and the potential safeguarding issues raised, the UK Foreign Office, Home Office, and Department for Culture, Media, and Sport declined to provide a response.

Records also show that other people were convicted in relation to the case.

They include the housekeeper of the villa and two of its security guards, who were each given a two-month suspended prison sentence and a fine of 5,000 dirhams (£396).

The manager of the Montecristo nightclub where the group met the girl was sentenced to two months in jail.

A waiter at the Montecristo was also prosecuted, as was the owner of the agency which rents out the villa.

The girl - a Moroccan national - was awarded civil compensation of 60,000 dirhams (£4,784), to be paid jointly by all of those convicted, plus court costs.

Baptiste is currently serving his sentence in Al-Oudaya prison, and resigned from his position as a consultant coach via a message sent on his behalf to UK Athletics on 18 August citing unspecified ill-health.

Baptiste will be deported from Morocco once he is released from prison.

His case was able to move through the system quickly, with only weeks between his initial arrest and sentencing, because Morocco operates a system in which Baptiste swiftly appeared before a judge and not a jury.

At an appeal hearing in July, two months were taken off his sentence.

The sprinters coached by Baptiste were unaware of the reason for his abrupt lack of contact since telling them he would be absent from training "for a while" in May.

Will Sharman won silver medals in the 110m hurdles at the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and 2014, as well as at the 2014 European Championships, and has worked on the BBC gameshow Gladiators.

The 41-year-old was also featured on BBC Radio 4 as an accomplished pianist in 2015, and appeared as a panel guest on an episode of A Question of Sport in 2014.

His brother Richard, 44, formerly competed in elite-level bobsleigh competitions for Great Britain. On social media he describes himself as an industrial engineer running his own company, as well as a pilot and investor.

Lamin Deen, 45, is a former military officer who served in the grenadier guards during conflicts in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Kosovo, and competed in bobsleigh at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and the 2018 edition in Pyeongchang.

He worked as a pundit for TNT Sports during the 2026 Games in Milan-Cortina.

In some online reviews and social media posts, the Montecristo is referred to as a known meeting place for sex workers and potential clients.

The venue was closed by Moroccan authorities during the investigation and has not reopened since.

A statement referring to the case was posted on its social media channels on 15 May, saying: "Montecristo would like to provide clarification and reaffirm its commitment to the values that have always defined us.

"We are treating this matter with the utmost seriousness and are fully co-operating with the relevant authorities in a spirit of transparency and responsibility."

BBC Sport has contacted Montecristo for comment but received no reply.

On Saturday the Moroccan charity Touche Pas À Mon Enfant (Don't Touch My Child) released a statement criticising the sentence Baptiste was given.

"While fully respecting judicial independence and the decisions handed down by competent courts, we cannot hide our astonishment and deep concern regarding a sentence of such duration in a case involving the sexual assault of a minor - particularly given that the sentence was reduced on appeal," the statement reads.

"Sexual assaults committed against children are not ordinary offences - they can leave victims with profound and lasting physical and psychological trauma.

"In this context, we question the precise legal classification of the acts and the circumstances that led to the imposition of this sentence and its subsequent reduction on appeal."

In 2016 UNAIDS estimated that around 75,000 sex workers were operating in Morocco.

The children's rights organisation Humanium has called sex tourism "a thriving industry" in Morocco.