Attorneys for Victims of Coach Stephen Maness
North Carolina gymnastics coach Stephen Maness is facing three charges of assault on a child under 12 and three charges of assault on a female. Mannes previously owned Bull City Gymnastics on Neal Road in Durham, N.C. and ran Chapel Hill Gymnastics in Chapel Hill.
If your child was a victim of Stephen Maness or any other coach or staff member of Bull City Gymnastics, please contact our office immediately.
We understand how difficult the aftermath of sexual abuse is for survivors and their families. However, we firmly believe that perpetrators and the institutions that allow them to prey on children must be held accountable.
We offer a free completely confidential consultation and handle all cases on a contingency fee basis. If we accept your case, you will pay us nothing unless we win.
Maness Was Active From at least 2012 – 2020
Coach Stephen Maness has been accused of sexually assaulting one youth gymnast repeatedly over an eight-year period, from 2012- 2020, and two others between 2015 and 2019. Maness was deemed permanently ineligible for USA Gymnastics membership after an investigation and was recently offered a plea deal that:
- No jail time
- 5 years of supervised probation
- A ban from gymnastics facilities and supervising children under 18
- A no-contact order with the victims or their families
A judge, however, rejected the plea, requiring that Maness undergo sex offender counseling.
While we hope that are no other victims, it is likely that there are other victims. Many perpetrators abuse multiple victims and fewer than 40 percent of child victims disclose the fact that they have been sexually abused.
Potential Warning Signs of Sexual Abuse
- Seeming distracted or distant at an odd time
- Nightmares or other sleep problems without an explanation
- A sudden change in eating habits or refusal to eat
- Sudden mood swings: Including rage, fear, or depression
- Loss of or drastically increased appetite
- New or unusual fear of certain people or places
- Refusal to talk about a secret shared with an adult or older child
- Has money, toys, or other gifts without reason
- Thinks of self or body as repulsive, dirty, or bad
- Adult-like sexual behaviors, language, and knowledge
- Among others
If you are unsure or suspect that your child was abused (by Stephen Maness or any other adult or juvenile), you should speak with the authorities and or a resource such as the National Sexual Assault Hotline.
How ESTEY & BOMBERGER, LLP Can Help Victims and Their Families
Estey & Bomberger, LLP, our attorneys have significant experience representing survivors of sexual abuse. We believe that survivors deserve justice and understand the challenges they face.
- We can help hold the responsible party accountable: Criminal charges are not the only way to hold perpetrators accountable.In this case, in fact, Stephen Maness was offered a plea deal with no jail time. As a firm, we are ready to represent survivors and their families to hold Maness accountable in civil court along with any public or private institutions that bear responsibility.
- Our child sexual assault attorneys understand that the first step in recovery is helping you feel safe again and we do this by providing access to rehabilitative resources and supporting our clients throughout the legal process.
- While it may be difficult to think about financial compensation at this time, it is an important part of the civil justice system. Survivors of child sexual abuse often face significant challenges, including health care and mental health costs, as well as significant emotional and psychological damage. These can affect achievement in school, the future prospects of employment, and their day-to-day interactions with loved ones. Additionally, being forced to pay out a claim is often the only way to compel companies and institutions to change policies and better protect children.
CONTACT ESTEY & BOMBERGER, LLP TODAY
If you or or your child were sexually abused, groomed, or assaulted by Stephen Moness or any other gymnastics teacher, please, contact Estey & Bomberger, LLP. Our attorneys have a 100 percent success rate with sexual assault cases and have secured record-winning verdicts and settlements for our clients. We are here to support you in any way we can.