2008 Woodie Awards
Cheerleaders shaken by tumbling tutor's arrest
Doug Graham
Issue date: 7/12/07 Section: Front Page
One former PSU cheerleader describes Glenn Keeton as an excellent tumbling coach.
"We worked with him just because he was such a good tumbling instructor," said Quentin Holmes, a former student cheerleading coach who graduated in May. "Definitely the best in the area."
But Keeton, a 43-year-old Baxter Springs resident who has helped coach PSU cheerleaders in tumbling at his Ready Set Go Gym in Pittsburg, was recently arrested in Cherokee County on two felony counts of sexual misconduct with a minor.
He was not affiliated with Pittsburg State University.
Keeton, who was booked at the Cherokee County Jail in Columbus on felony complaints of aggravated indecent liberties with a child and lewd and lascivious behavior involving a 12-year-old girl, will face court at 9:30 a.m. today in Cherokee County.
"It totally blew us away because he was a really nice guy," Holmes said. "Nice as can be, really good coach, and he knows his stuff."
Other cheerleaders declined to comment.
Holmes says several members of the cheerleading squad visited Keeton's gym when they needed help with their tumbling. Keeton first caught the PSU team's attention when one of Keeton's cheerleading teams from Riverton visited the PSU campus and praised their coach.
Keeton has been a registered sex offender since 1993 when he was convicted in California of lewd and lascivious behavior with a 10-year-old relative. However, his conviction predated the requirement that his name be put on a public list in Kansas.
In a Joplin Globe report, Crawford County Sheriff Sandy Horton said that Keeton had informed several area parents about his sex offender status.
Holmes, however, says he had no idea that Keeton was a sex offender.
"He was a really nice guy," Holmes said. "Always willing to help somebody out, definitely. No matter what, he wanted everybody he worked with to succeed."
"We worked with him just because he was such a good tumbling instructor," said Quentin Holmes, a former student cheerleading coach who graduated in May. "Definitely the best in the area."
But Keeton, a 43-year-old Baxter Springs resident who has helped coach PSU cheerleaders in tumbling at his Ready Set Go Gym in Pittsburg, was recently arrested in Cherokee County on two felony counts of sexual misconduct with a minor.
He was not affiliated with Pittsburg State University.
Keeton, who was booked at the Cherokee County Jail in Columbus on felony complaints of aggravated indecent liberties with a child and lewd and lascivious behavior involving a 12-year-old girl, will face court at 9:30 a.m. today in Cherokee County.
"It totally blew us away because he was a really nice guy," Holmes said. "Nice as can be, really good coach, and he knows his stuff."
Other cheerleaders declined to comment.
Holmes says several members of the cheerleading squad visited Keeton's gym when they needed help with their tumbling. Keeton first caught the PSU team's attention when one of Keeton's cheerleading teams from Riverton visited the PSU campus and praised their coach.
Keeton has been a registered sex offender since 1993 when he was convicted in California of lewd and lascivious behavior with a 10-year-old relative. However, his conviction predated the requirement that his name be put on a public list in Kansas.
In a Joplin Globe report, Crawford County Sheriff Sandy Horton said that Keeton had informed several area parents about his sex offender status.
Holmes, however, says he had no idea that Keeton was a sex offender.
"He was a really nice guy," Holmes said. "Always willing to help somebody out, definitely. No matter what, he wanted everybody he worked with to succeed."
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Dr. Kathleen A. Cameron
posted 7/16/07 @ 5:21 PM EST
I am not at all surprised by this case. From what we know of sex offenders as well as serial predators, these are usually "really nice guys" who no one suspects of these kinds of crimes. (Continued…)
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