What to Know
- A suburban New York gymnastics coast accused of sexually abusing young girls has been sentenced to four years in prison
- Joseph Lewin was sentenced in a Rockland County courtroom on Monday after pleading guilty to one count of felony sex abuse
- Prosecutors say the 68-year-old Lewin had illegal sexual contact with at least seven girls under age 13 between 2007 and 2014
A suburban New York gymnastics coast accused of sexually abusing young girls has been sentenced to four years in prison.
Joseph Lewin was sentenced in a Rockland County courtroom on Monday after pleading guilty to one count of felony sex abuse. He was initially facing up to 56 years in prison based off the charges he was indicted on. Under the plea deal, he could be out of prison in less than three years.
Prosecutors say the 68-year-old Lewin had illegal sexual contact with at least seven girls under age 13 between 2007 and 2014. The girls were students at gyms where Lewin worked.
During his sentencing, Lewin told the court he was "extremely sorry." The judge at one point asked him to look at his victims to apologize, and as he turned around one said loudly and through tears, "Don't look at me."
Three of the seven victims spoke out after the sentencing, saying now they can begin to heal.
"You just move forward, you don't look back after this," said Eva Oberkircher "We won today and that's all that matters."
Local
Lewin was a gymnastics and tumbling coach at two locations of The Gym, in Hillburn and Suffern, between 2007 and 2014. He will have to register as a sex offender after his release from prison.
