Charges Lessened Against Climbing Instructor Accused of Sexual Assault

A Howard County grand jury dropped several charges against former Earth Treks coach Michael Lyons, the Rockville man police said had engaged in sex acts with a 14-year-old student at the Columbia gym.

According to the July 20 indictment, Lyons’ updated charges list is: sex abuse of a minor, three counts of third-degree sex offenses and sexual solicitation of a minor.

The leading charge, sex abuse of a minor, carries with it a maximum of 25 years in prison, according to T. Wayne Kirwan, a spokesman with the Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office.

The grand jury dropped three of the six charges of third-degree sex offenses against Lyons, as well as the three fourth-degree sex offense charges. It also dropped a second-degree assault charge.

A grand jury indictment supersedes the original charges, said Kirwan.

The Earth Treks scandal has rocked the climbing gym community.

Earlier this week, president  trained other coaches in appropriate relationships between coaches and athletes.

“Sadly, with Michael Lyons serving as the head coach, we had the fox guarding the henhouse,” Warner wrote to members in a message of apology obtained by Patch.

 another former climbing instructor at Earth Treks, was charged in four misdemeanor sex offenses against a minor.

Court records indicate the charges against Montague involved incidents between March 2011 and June 2011.