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Former Olympian Conrad Mainwaring, pleads guilty to abusing boys at western Mass. sports camp

Ex-Olympian Conrad Mainwaring raises his shackled right hand as he is sworn-in at Berkshire Superior Court on Thursday before pleading guilty to sexually molesting nine boys between the ages of 13 and 17 during his time as a camp counselor in Becket in the mid-to-late 1970s. Thursday, February 8, 2024.
Stephanie Zollshan
/
The Berkshire Eagle
Ex-Olympian Conrad Mainwaring raises his shackled right hand as he is sworn-in at Berkshire Superior Court on Thursday before pleading guilty to sexually molesting nine boys between the ages of 13 and 17 during his time as a camp counselor in Becket in the mid-to-late 1970s. Thursday, February 8, 2024.

A former Olympian and longtime track coach has pleaded guilty to more than a dozen charges of sexually molesting young boys in the 1970s while working at a sports camp in western Massachusetts.

Conrad Mainwaring, who was a hurdler for Antigua and Barbuda in the 1976 Montreal summer Olympics, entered the plea Thursday in Berkshire Superior Court.

Mainwaring, a British national, was accused of molesting campers while working as a counselor at Camp Greylock in Becket.

Several victims spoke after his plea including David Sweet, a New York man who attended the camp when he was 13.

Sweet said Mainwaring groomed him before the abuse, often lavishing attention on him and promising him gifts.

"I knew something was terribly wrong. He made me feel sick to my stomach," he said.

While some attended virtually, Sweet was present at court and spoke directly to Mainwaring, at one point looking at him and saying, "I hope you remember this face for a long, long time."

A judge sentenced Mainwaring to 10-11 years in state prison. He will then serve three years of probation with conditions.

Elizabeth Román edits daily news stories at NEPM as managing editor. She is working to expand the diversity of sources in our news coverage and is also exploring ways to create more Spanish-language news content.
Kari Njiiri is a senior reporter and longtime host and producer of "Jazz Safari," a musical journey through the jazz world and beyond, broadcast Saturday nights on NEPM Radio. He's also the local host of NPR’s "All Things Considered."
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