A former Olympic equestrian and longtime horse trainer pleaded guilty last Wednesday in Washington County Circuit Court to sexually abusing a teenage girl entrusted to his care.
Richard Rankin Fellers, 63, of Oregon City, was convicted of two counts of second-degree sexual abuse for coercing a 16-year-old into a sexual relationship, according to a statement from the Washington County District Attorney’s Office.
The girl lived on her own and was entrusted to Fellers’ care at the age of 14 so she could train with him at his Tualatin facility, according to the statement. Her family resided in California.
Fellers competed in the 2012 Olympics in London and was well known in the equestrian community.
Prosecutors say the abuse began in late 2019, after Fellers professed his love for the girl and then engaged in sexual acts in Washington County and in other states while traveling with her for equestrian competitions.
The abuse was discovered by Fellers’ wife and a “family friend,” who both witnessed it firsthand in the summer of 2020, the statement says.
The initial complaint was made by the U.S. Center for SafeSport, a U.S. nonprofit devoted to preventing sexual misconduct and abuse of minors and amateur athletes in Olympic sports, police said.
“The victim entrusted him with her Olympic hopes and dreams,” Deputy District Attorney Rayney Meisel said while arguing the case in court, according to the district attorney’s statement. “What was taken from her is immeasurable. What she has had to endure from her community and the public in the wake of this exposure is immense. I am in awe of her strength and poise as she navigates this process and advocates for herself and others in similar positions.”
Fellers also pleaded guilty to sexual-abuse charges in federal court that stemmed from his crossing state lines to engage in sexual conduct with the victim, the DA’s office said.
Fellers’ guilty pleas were the result of a deal he struck with Washington County and federal prosecutors, according to the statement. In exchange for his pleas, two additional second-degree sexual-abuse charges that he faced in Washington County were dropped.
Fellers will serve four years in federal detention and is required to register as a sex offender, prosecutors said. His sentencing for the Washington County charges will be determined at a court hearing at the end of October.
— Nick Gibson; ngibson@oregonian.com; 971-393-8259; @newsynicholas
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