Gustafson

Deschutes County Circuit Judge Wells Ashby heard opening arguments and testimony in the trial of a former owner of a Bend gymnastics and martial arts academy who is charged with sexually abusing students.

Richard Bridgeman Gustafson, 49, of Bend, on Thursday waived his right to a jury trial.

The founder and former co-owner of Acrovision Sports Center in Bend, Gustafson faces 11 counts of first-degree sexual abuse, 22 charges of encouraging child sexual abuse and possession of cocaine.

On Thursday, Deputy District Attorney Sarah Foreman began to shape the narrative of the investigation leading to the charges, describing the reports made by children to their parents and then to forensic interviewers at the KIDS Center, a child abuse intervention center.

Gustafson was arrested Jan. 8 on suspicion of abusing two girls at a New Year’s Eve sleepover at Acrovision. He was released from county custody that month after posting bail.

Further allegations of abuse emerged in subsequent months, reported by children who had attended earlier holiday sleepovers at the gym. In total, five victims reported being abused by Gustafson.

Gustafson’s attorney, John Kolego, stated in his opening argument the evidence would demonstrate Gustafson was not guilty.

Kolego said he would bring character witnesses who would demonstrate Gustafson is a “committed educator.”

Kolego also alleged the disclosures of abuse by other children — subsequent to the alleged January incidents — were made after the story garnered the intense attention of local media.

Ashby then heard testimony from Bend Police Officer James Krauger, Bend Detective Tommy Russell, KIDS Center forensic interviewer Celeste Hasbrouck and a parent of one of the alleged victims.

During testimony, witnesses reviewed and were questioned about photographs of Acrovision and Gustafson’s office, physical evidence from the alleged victims and recovered from search warrants, video of the forensic interview with the parent’s child at KIDS Center and drawings made by the child during the forensic interview.

The prosecution also played a recording of a phone call between the parent witness and Gustafson on Jan. 8.

“I can’t make sense of this,” said the mother to Gustafson after he denied touching and “snuggling” with her daughter in the phone call. “I’m talking about my own children.”

At the end of Thursday’s proceedings, the court reviewed the defense’s objection to the admission as evidence of what appeared to be children’s socks. The socks were found in a safe in the Acrovision office used by Gustafson. Police sent them for testing to the Oregon State Crime Lab, and they tested positive for semen belonging to Gustafson .

Ashby overruled the objection, stating the evidence was admissible in court, despite the defense’s assertion that the socks were irrelevant to the current charges.

The trial is expected to take eight days and will continue at 9 a.m. today.

— Reporter: 541-383-0376, cwithycombe@bendbulletin.com