BENTONVILLE -- A former swim coach facing sexual assault and related charges in Benton County is now wanted on similar offenses in Tulsa, Okla.
Stephen James Duwel's Arkansas charges include 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, possession or viewing matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child, a Class C felony; and fourth-degree sexual assault, a Class A misdemeanor.
The charges
A Class A felony is punishable with a prison sentence ranging from six to 30 years. A Class B felony carries a prison sentence from five to 20 years. A Class C felony is punishable with a prison sentence ranging from three to 10 years. A Class A misdemeanor is punishable with up to a year in jail.
Source: Staff report
He previously pleaded not guilty to the Arkansas charges.
Duwel, 50, of Rogers was arrested July 20 and is accused of having sexual contact with a 14-year-old boy and using a computer online service or the Internet to communicate with the teen.
Duwel was a volunteer swim coach at Bentonville High School. He also was head coach for Northwest Arkansas Aquatics swim team.
A warrant for Duwel's arrest was issued last week from Tulsa County District Court in Tulsa, according to court records. He is charged with lewd molestation and soliciting child pornography, according to court records.
Duwel's charges in Tulsa stem from accusations he sent a video of himself masturbating to another 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 has not yet been arrested in connection with the charges. A judge has set Duwel's bond at $65,000.
Duwel is free on $75,000 bond in connection with the Arkansas charges.
His July arrest happened after a relative of the boy reported to Rogers police 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 probable cause 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, according to the affidavit.
Duwel and the boy exchanged phone numbers two or three months after they began to talk through the app, 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 where 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 he was in the eighth grade and would be 15 on his birthday. Duwel replied 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.
Frederick Quandt, Aquatics swim club president, previously said Duwel was fired July 22.
Duwel's next court appearance in the Arkansas case is set for 8:30 a.m. Feb. 25.
NW News on 11/24/2015