Three British former athletes faced convictions in Morocco tied to the sexual assault of a minor by Leon Baptiste, a UK Athletics coach and 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist in the 200m. His imprisonment came to light after he was reported missing in Morocco on August 14 before a BBC Sport investigation uncovered the details of his conviction.

Will Sharman, a two-time Commonwealth silver medallist hurdler, along with his brother Richard Sharman, fellow bobsleigh competitors Lamin Deen, Ashley O'Leary Jones, and David Tuck, were convicted of participating in the enticement of a minor. They stated through their lawyers that they were unaware of their convictions until informed by the media and expressed shock and distress over the situation.

The case began when police raided a villa in Tamensourt after a 16-year-old girl reported being brought there, where she claimed she was assaulted and not compensated for sexual acts with Baptiste. He received a 10-month prison sentence for sexual assault, later reduced to eight months on appeal.

Court documents highlighted the psychological and physical trauma suffered by the victim. The five men received suspended sentences of four months and fines of 500 dirhams (£40) each, though they were acquitted of inciting a minor to engage in prostitution. The court determined that their presence and actions assisted Baptiste in deceiving the girl.

The group left Morocco before the verdict was delivered, and they asserted that they had no knowledge of the girl’s age and believed they had acted lawfully. The UK Foreign Office, Home Office, and Department for Culture, Media, and Sport declined to comment on the case.

Other individuals connected to the case, including villa staff and nightclub personnel, also faced convictions and penalties. The victim was awarded 60,000 dirhams (£4,784) in civil compensation.