Overview
- Allen police opened an investigation on Feb. 15; Benjamin Shroats, 47, was arrested Feb. 17 and arraigned on charges of indecency with a child and sexual assault.
- Investigative documents say Shroats acknowledged a sexual relationship with an adult accuser during a voluntary interview with detectives.
- Court records describe groping of a minor at a skating facility in 2020, repeated touching during workouts, and sexual acts in a parking garage that the accuser says he arranged to avoid his car recording the encounter.
- Attorney Zeke Fortenberry, representing the two accusers, says one client alleges abuse beginning at 16 that lasted 5–6 years, while the other reports abuse at ages 18–19.
- Shroats remains in the Collin County jail on a total $200,000 bond; his attorney disputes the allegations, and U.S. Figure Skating has suspended him as the investigation continues.