Eltham gym coach Gregory Jackson admits molesting 9-year-old student

The former owner/coach of a popular Eltham gymnastics studio admitted molesting a child student years after parents were aware of his vile offending.

Former Monty’s Gymnastics coach Gregory Jackson molested a nine-year-old student. GENERIC IMAGE.

An Eltham gymnastics coach molested a nine-year-old student then continued to train children after the abuse was uncovered, a court has heard.

Gregory Jackson, 59, was sentenced to an 18-month corrections order with 100 hours community work at the Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, November 18.

The Mont Albert North man pleaded guilty to five charges of indecent assault relating to incidents back in 1984 and 1985 when he owned Monty Gymnastics on Brisbane St, Eltham.

Jackson was 24 years old when he molested a nine-year-old boy on multiple occasions.

The court heard the abuse began at a social gathering at a Greensborough home following an open day at Jackson’s gym, where Jackson offered to give the boy a massage for his injured back.

Jackson took the child to a bedroom and pulled his pants down and molested him while he complained.

The boy was then walking through a hallway in the house later on when Jackson grabbed him and put his hands down his pants, only stopping when they were interrupted by a passerby.

The other three incidents occurred at the gym, during which Jackson molested the boy and exposed himself, then made the boy promise to keep the abuse a secret.

But the boy told his parents and they confronted Jackson, who denied the molestation.

The court heard the issue was raised with other committee members at the gym and it was agreed other adults should be around when Jackson was with students.

A victim impact statement revealed the devastating impact the boy suffered throughout his life because of the abuse.

It said the boy was a shy child who looked up to Jackson before being molested, and who went on to fear “extreme retribution” from his abuser afterwards.

The man went on to have suicidal tendencies and relationship issues and still required regular counselling 35 years on, the court heard.

“It felt wrong,” the statement read. “I had no control over what was happening.”

Magistrate Michael McNamara said he had taken into account the sentencing practices at the time of the offences in dealing with Jackson.

He said Jackson would be put on the sex offenders register for life.