Skating coach pleads guilty to sexually abusing student
6/18/2019
A figure skating coach pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal sexual conduct for engaging in sex with a skating pupil when she was 15 and 16 years old, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday.
Thomas Incantalupo, 48, of St. Louis Park, pleaded guilty Tuesday morning as his criminal trial was to begin on nine counts of criminal sexual conduct. He agreed to plead guilty to one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct. He admitted to aggravating factors which will allow prosecutors to seek the statutory maximum sentence of 30 years. Incantalupo also agreed that his sentence would be no less than 12 years in prison.
In court Tuesday, Incantalupo admitted to taking the child victim to a hotel two separate times and engaging in sex acts with her. He also admitted that the sexual abuse occurred when he was in a position of authority over her as her figure skating coach.
The sexual abuse began in August 2015 when the girl was 14 and she traveled with Incantalupo to Connecticut for training. The abuse continued for over two years on skating trips inside and outside of the United States. Incantalupo would also take the girl from a skating rink in Eden Prairie to a hotel in that city, sexually abuse her and then return her to the rink in time for her parents to pick her up.
Sentencing is set for Sept. 27 at 9 am.