June 8 (UPI) — A former Olympic equestrian and horse trainer was arrested in Oregon Monday on charges of sexually abusing a teenage girl, police said.
Authorities in Tualatin, Ore., said Richard Rankin Fellers, 61, of Oregon City, Ore., was arrested and charged with four counts of second-degree sexual abuse stemming from an alleged relationship with a 17-year-old girl.
Fellers, a prominent horse trainer who competed for the United States in the London 2012 Summer Olympics, was jailed in Hillsboro, Ore., according to a release from the Tualatin Police Department.
Fellers competed in the individual equestrian jumping event in London, finishing eighth, as well as in the team jumping event, according to the Olympics database.
Authorities said he was arrested following a lengthy investigation spanning multiple states in which evidence was gathered establishing Fellers allegedly had a sexual relationship with a minor girl whose horse he was training.
The alleged crimes happened at the victim’s apartment in Portland, Ore., police said.
The initial complaint was made by the U.S. Center for SafeSport, a Denver-based nonprofit organization focusing on ending all forms of abuse in sport.
