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Former UT assistant coach, who was a Moline standout, confesses to sex crime

A coach, who was a professional baseball player from Moline, has pleaded guilty to trying to solicit children for sexual contact online.

ROCK ISLAND, Illinois - A coach, who was a professional baseball player from Moline, has pleaded guilty to trying to solicit children for sexual contact online.

Thomas Lindauer, 24, confessed to committing the crime of grooming against six victims according to Rock Island County State's Attorney John McGehee.

Lindauer went to Moline High School and was the first local player to make the roster to play baseball for the Quad City River Bandits, after being drafted by the Houston Astros in the 23rd round of the MLB draft in 2013.  He was also an assistant basketball coach at United Township High School.

Lindauer was still listed as an assistant varsity basketball coach on the UT team's website as of May 11.

"Lindauer used internet service on his cell phone to seduce, solicit, lure or entice a child to engage in unlawful sexual conduct," McGehee said.  "There was no evidence of any physical contact with the six known victims."

"A person commits grooming when he or she knowingly uses a computer on-line service, Internet service, local bulletin board service, or any other device capable of electronic data storage or transmission to seduce, solicit, lure, or entice, or attempt to seduce, solicit, lure, or entice, a child, a child's guardian, or another person believed by the person to be a child or a child's guardian, to commit any sex offense as defined in Section 2 of the Sex Offender Registration Act, to distribute photographs depicting the sex organs of the child, or to otherwise engage in any unlawful sexual conduct with a child or with another person believed by the person to be a child," according to the Illinois Compiled Statutes.

Lindauer pleaded guilty May 11, 2016, to one count of grooming, which is a class 4 felony.  As a result of his plea, Lindauer must register for ten years as a child sex offender, serve 24 months of probation with extra restrictions because of the child sex offender status, and he cannot use any device with internet access without permission from his probation officer.  Even with internet access, Lindauer is not allowed to access any social networking websites.

 

 

 

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