Atlanta cheer coach hit with $10M lawsuit accusing him of abusing girls as young as 8 across multiple gyms

A former Atlanta cheer coach is being sued for $10 million after being accused of abusing girls as young as eight while he worked in multiple Georgia gyms.

Charles Moore is named in the civil suit alongside organizations who are accused of a “culture of misconduct” which allegedly covered up his crimes in the metro Atlanta area over many years.

Moore was arrested twice last year on charges including sexual exploitation of a minor, providing drugs to a minor and child molestation. He was detained in both May and June.

At the time Moore was described as “a predator” who had been grooming young girls for his own sexual gratification, with Barrow County Sheriff’s Office speculating he may have other victims.

The suit, filed last month, also names two metro Atlanta cheer gyms, Walton County School District, Varsity Brands and USA Cheer. It was filed by a former cheerleader – referred to as Jane Doe – who claims she was abused by Moore when she was younger.

It claims that Moore had used his positions within cheer programs to access children at gyms, competitions, and homes, and that multiple red flags in his behavior were ignored by the organizations he had worked for.

Attorney Ryan James of RJ Law in Greenville, South Carolina – who is representing the victim – said documentation had been discovered showing Moore had already been “on the radar” of top cheer organizations before his arrest.

“This is a complaint for personal injury. Among the allegations are a failure institutionally on the part of the school district as well as some of these individual cheer federations — failure to institute policies as they pertain to interaction between adults and minors, failure to supervise, negligence in hiring,” James told 11Alive. “It all stems from one individual, Charles Moore, who had effectively unfettered access to these minor women, some of them starting as early as ages 8 and 9.”

James added that his investigation had already spoken with several more alleged victims but that there were likely to be “countless more” due to the number of institutions he had been employed at. Extensive evidence had been found, including tens of thousands of screenshots, he said.

“It was brought to their attention — many of these folks — and they made a conscious decision, whether willing or unwilling, voluntary or involuntary, in putting the shield that is competitive cheer before the innocence of these young women. There’s just an overwhelming sense of, ‘where were the adults in the room?’” James told 11Alive.

Though the suit seeks a hefty sum in damages, James said the suit intended to change the system and prioritize child safety in the industry.

“They’re putting the brand that is competitive cheer before the child. Where they’re losing sight is that’s a child, a minor, someone who doesn’t have the capacity to consent.

“We know at some point it was brought to folks’ attention that this conduct was going on, it was unacceptable, and by all accounts, nothing was done to stop it,” James told 11Alive.

The Independent has reached out to Varsity Brands LLC, Walton County School District and USA Cheers for comment over the civil suit.