Wyatt Deremer, a former wrestling coach at Gresham High School and a Boy Scout volunteer, has plead guilty to three counts and no-contest to one count of first-degree sex abuse, said Chris Ramras, a Multnomah County deputy district attorney.
In October 2015, he plead not guilty to ten counts of sexual abuse for which he was indicted. The charges involved four boys and the incidents occurred between August 2007 and January 2012.
Deremer admitted in court Thursday, June 2, 2016 there was sufficient evidence to convict him of molesting four boys who were between 6 and 13 at the time of the abuse.
Deremer had a long history of working with young boys as an employee and a volunteer. According to the Portland Tribune,
“Deremer was working as an in-home health care provider for developmentally disabled children for the Oregon Department of Human Services when the investigation began in September 2015. The Gresham High School graduate worked as a paid assistant wrestling coach for the high school, most recently in spring 2015. Deremer also worked with Boy Scouts of America, the Eagles Club (as a cook), as head coach Eastside Elite Mat Club, the USA Wrestling Association, Gresham Mat Club, Estacada Mat Club, Cobra Wrestling Mat Club and Schools Uniting Neighborhoods (SUN) after school wrestling program at Dexter McCarty Middle School, Clear Creek Middle School and Gresham High School. He had also worked as a volunteer firefighter in Boring and as an assistant event coordinator for a local muscular dystrophy association. He was a youth ski and snowboard instructor for Shriners Hospital for Children in Portland. He was also employed as a children’s life skills coach for Trillium Family Services in Portland.”
There is a possibility that he may have abused other boys given his work history. Anyone with information about other victims should contact local law enforcement.
Sentencing has been scheduled for June 29. The former coach is expected to receive 10 years in prison.