Australian child sex offender

Brett Sutton, a 65-year-old Australian coach who trained Switzerland's Julie Derron to a silver medal in triathlon at the Paris Olympics, has been revealed as a convicted child sex offender. Sutton pleaded guilty in 1999 to five counts of sexual abuse against a 13-year-old girl, resulting in a suspended two-year prison sentence. Despite his criminal history, he was accredited by the Chinese Olympic Committee and attended the event, where he was seen giving interviews with his Olympic lanyard visible. Sutton has been banned from coaching by several organizations, but a spokesperson claimed he had served a sanction from the International Triathlon Union. His presence at the Olympics has drawn attention alongside the controversy surrounding Dutch beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde, also a convicted sex offender. The Australian National Olympic Committee confirmed that Sutton is banned for life from swimming in Australia due to his offenses.