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PORTLAND, OR — Former Gresham wrestling coach, Wyatt Deremer, who used his position to abuse several young boys, was formally sentenced to 10 years in prison Wednesday afternoon in Multnomah County Circuit Court.
Deremer, 26, was arrested by Gresham Police officers in October 2015 for sexual assault of four boys between the ages of 6 and 12. Each victim had a connection to Deremer’s wrestling club – the Eastside Elite Mat Club in Gresham, Oregon.
We previously wrote about Deremer. According to media reports, Deremer volunteered or worked for a long list of organizations that allowed him access to many hundreds or even thousands of children over the years, including:
- Coaching through eight wrestling clubs, including the Eastside Elite Mat Club;
- Working as an assistant Boy Scouts troop leader;
- Counseling children at the Shriners Children’s Hospital;
- Working at the mental health clinic the Parry Center for Children; and
- Working as a home health-care provider for children with developmental disabilities through the Oregon Department of Human Services.
Some of the children Deremer worked with one-on-one were developmentally disabled.
Deremer’s molestations of the four victims came to light after the woman’s older son summoned the courage to speak up in 2015 as Deremer climbed the coaching ranks at his school.
According to media reports, during the investigation, Deremer also admitted to police that while traveling in Finland, he victimized two other boys, who were sons of his friend, according to court papers.
During Wednesday’s hearing, the mother of two of the victims said her older son felt “heavily burdened” by the knowledge that his best friend was later victimized by Deremer, and her son was overcome “with guilt” and “blamed himself” for his friend’s victimization.
The mother said in retrospect, she can see that Deremer fit the profile of a child molester by gaining access to so many children through the youth organizations: “He was everywhere all of the time,” she said. “There was a significant pattern here, one that I’m ashamed I missed.”
Police believe there are other victims.
For more on Deremer, read Aimee Green’s article in The Oregonian.
If you or someone you care about was sexually abused by a coach or other trusted adult and you would like advice from an attorney about the rights and options for victims of child sexual abuse, please contact Crew Janci LLP today for a free, confidential consultation at 1-888-407-0224 or by using our private online form. We will treat you with discretion and respect.
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