Former Prescott Valley gym owner accused of child sex abuse

PRESCOTT VALLEY, AZ (AZFamily) – The former owner of a Prescott Valley gymnastics school is facing multiple charges of dangerous crimes against a child, including allegations of sexual abuse of a child under the age of 15.

Prosecutors indicted 47-year-old Michael Craig Andrew was accused of sexual abuse by a 14-year-old girl last summer. He was released this summer after being arrested in July when the first charges were filed.

Those charges were dropped, but he now faces new charges.

He was arrested during an arraignment on Friday and is being held on $75,000 bond.

Andrew faces 15 charges, including sexual abuse, indecent exposure and child abuse. Court documents show the charges date back to 2015. He pleaded not guilty.

On Friday, prosecutors said in court that Andrew and the victim’s father had been friends for more than 20 years. Andrew was accused of contacting the father after he was first released on bail.

The judge said Friday that if he is released, he will not be able to contact the victim or her family, and that he must be supervised if he spends time with anyone under the age of 18.

Andrew co-owned a local gym, Arizona Dreams Gymnastics Academy. Court documents allege that’s where some of the abuse occurred.

Melanie Jayne said her 14-year-old daughter had been going to the gym for three years, and she said it was a complete shock.

“We were all really overwhelmed,” Jayne said. “Especially for my daughter, because she’s known him for several years, and when she first found out, she kept saying, ‘He’s so nice.’ It was just very heartbreaking.”

After the allegations emerged, Andrew’s wife Summer said… posted on Facebook that Andrew was no longer the owner of the gym. She denied he was ever a coach and claimed he only opened the gym and worked the front desk.

Arizona’s family has reached out to Summer but has not heard back.

However, Jayne and other parents who contacted Arizona’s family said there is more to the story.

“He was there every week, not just at the front desk,” Jayne said. “He would go out on the floor and talk to kids. And at the weekend there is a parents’ evening, and he was in charge of that.”

She said she worries about the future of this gym in a sport where trust between the kids and coaches is so important. Jayne said the gym is the only reputable gym in town, forcing many families to stay put.

“Gymnastics is already an intimate sport,” says Jayne. “These girls wear tights and do splits and you’re there at least three to four days a week, four and a half, five hours at a time. Her innocence is now taken away because she trusted him.

Andrew will have a pre-trial hearing on January 6, where a court date will be chosen.

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