BENTONVILLE -- A former Northwest Arkansas swim coach was arrested Sunday in Oklahoma on child-sex charges.
Stephen James Duwel, 50, of Rogers was booked into the Tulsa County jail at 4:13 p.m. Sunday. He was released from jail at 5:13 p.m Sunday after he posted a $65,000 bond.
Duwel's case in Oklahoma stems from accusations that he sent a video of himself masturbating to a boy on April 27, and that he engaged in sexual activities with the teenager at a Tulsa hotel on May 15, according to the Tulsa World.
Duwel was a volunteer swim coach at Bentonville High School. He also was head coach for Northwest Arkansas Aquatics swim team. He is no longer associated with the school or the swim team.
Rogers police arrested Duwel on July 20. He is charged with Internet stalking of a child, a Class A felony; engaging children in sexually explicit conduct for use in visual or print medium, a Class B felony; five counts of distributing, possessing or viewing matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child, a Class C felony; and fourth-degree sexual assault, a Class A misdemeanor.
He previously pleaded innocent to the Arkansas charges. Duwel's next court appearance in the Arkansas case is set for 8:30 a.m. Feb. 25.
His July arrest occurred after a relative of the boy reported to Rogers police that the teen was involved in a sexual relationship with an older male, according to a probable-cause affidavit. The teen told police he met Duwel through a smartphone application, according to the affidavit.
The teen said he had to enter his age as 18 to use the application, according to the affidavit. The teen said he initiated contact with Duwel, the affidavit states.
Duwel and the boy exchanged phone numbers two or three months after they began to talk online, according to the affidavit.
They met at a Springdale roller rink, according to court documents.
Duwel and the teen went to see a movie together, and the teen visited Duwel's home, according to the affidavit.
Duwel told police about an encounter in which he gave the boy a massage at Duwel's home, the affidavit states.
Police found text messages between Duwel and the teen, according to court documents.
The teen told Duwel in one text message that he was in the eighth grade and would be 15 on his birthday.
Duwel replied that they could only be friends and "making out" would be about as far as they could go, the affidavit states.
Duwel told police he thought the teen was 18 when he first contacted him, but he didn't stop texting him when he learned his true age, according to the affidavit.
Duwel is free on $75,000 bond in connection with the Arkansas charges.
Metro on 12/01/2015