Ex-British athletes ‘convicted in Morocco after being caught up in Leon Baptiste case’

THREE former British athletes have discovered they also received criminal convictions following gold medallist Leon Baptiste’s imprisonment.

Baptiste was initially believed to be “missing” while training, but was later exposed as serving a 10-month sentence in Morocco for sexually assaulting a child.

BBC Sport has now revealed five others were also convicted in connection to the offence.

The men deny knowingly engaging in any unlawful or improper conduct and say they did not understand themselves to have been criminally convicted.

Commonwealth silver medallist Will Sharman and his brother, former bobsleigh athlete, Richard Sharman, were convicted of “participating in the enticement of a minor”.

Another ex-bobsleigh sportsman, Lamin Deen, and two other acquaintances, Ashley O’Leary Jones and David Tuck, were convicted of the same crime.

However, according to the lawyers of all five men, they were unaware of their convictions until being approached by the Beeb.

A representative for the group said: “William, Richard, Lamin, David and Ashley are shocked and distressed by the circumstances in which they have unexpectedly found themselves.

“They reject any suggestion that they knowingly engaged in unlawful or improper conduct. They left Morocco believing they had complied with all requirements placed upon them.”

Court records show that the men were all given suspended sentences of four months and fined £40 each for the offence.

They were also all acquitted of a different charge of inciting a minor to engage in prostitution.

Lawyers for the group of men claimed they were not aware of the girl’s age and their interaction was limited.

A spokesperson said: “What has unfolded over recent months has been a distressing and incoherent saga.

“They did not properly understand the proceedings and were completely shocked on being told that they were the subject of a criminal conviction, when that is not how they understood it.”

It was revealed last week that Baptiste had been arrested and is now serving a custodial sentence in Al-Oudaya prison, Marrakech.

It is understood police raided a villa in Tamenscourt outside the capital after a girl, 16, contacted them claiming to have been violated and exploited.

She said she was not paid for the exchange and was assaulted by the housekeeper after being accused of stealing a watch.

Official documents say she experienced “psychological trauma, sexual exploitation, physical assault and injury, and the violation of her human dignity”.

The disgraced trainer was later arrested in May of this year.