Former Linn-Mar high coach charged with sex abuse, exploitation of 17-year-old student

CEDAR RAPIDS — A former assistant track coach at Linn-Mar High School and owner of a high school sports photography and video service in Marion was formally charged Tuesday with holding a 17-year-old male student in a school office bathroom and sexually abusing him during a Sept. 27 “training program.”

Kameron Martelle Beets, 29, of Cedar Rapids, is charged with third-degree sexually abuse, third-degree kidnapping, sexual exploitation of a minor, sexual exploitation by a school employee and invasion of privacy.

The criminal complaint was filed Oct. 22 when a warrant was issued for Beets, but he wasn’t arrested until 5 p.m. Monday by Marion and Cedar Rapids police in southwest Cedar Rapids. The complaint was made public Tuesday when Beets made an initial appearance in Linn County District Court.

A 17-year-old Linn-Mar male student told police that Beets, who served as his coach, instructed the teen to send him nude photos or videos, according to a criminal complaint. Beets met Sept. 27 with the teen in an office at Linn-Mar High “to perform a “physical analysis” for Beets’ personal training program.

During that meeting, Beets told the teen to get undressed and he molested and sexually abused him and confined him in a bathroom for over 45 minutes while the teen was naked, the complaint states. Beets took the teen’s clothing and wouldn’t give it back. The complaint states the police gathered forensic evidence of Beets’ “unlawful actions.”

Linn-Mar High officials, in a statement, said they are aware of the allegations but said Beets had resigned as a student supervisor April 14 and his contract as an assistant boys varsity track coach ended May 22.

“No complaints were received by school administration to suggest any misconduct in a school-related context,” school officials stated Tuesday. “The district is following our procedures and cooperating with law enforcement.”

Beets continued to volunteer as an unpaid coach, however,

After Beets was arrested Monday, Marion police said in a statement that they learned Beets had “solicited inappropriate photographs from two minors.”

The complaint names only one victim, but Beets did have access to student athletes through his work and his sports photography business and personal training program called BEAST Academy, which took photos and videos of sporting events across Iowa.

Beets’ LinkedIn profile states he founded BEAST Academy in May 2020. The company’s social media accounts show dozens of photos and videos taken at prep football games, baseball games, wrestling matches and other events mostly in Eastern Iowa.

Authorities said Monday they seized “thousands of computer images depicting high school athletes” and were analyzing them for any other possible victims.

Court documents show two temporary sexual abuse protective orders were issued Sept. 28 against Beets. The orders, issued on behalf of two minors, direct that Beets be “restrained from committing further acts of sexual abuse or threats of abuse” and not have contact with either minor.

The orders identify the minors only by initials. But those initials do not match the teen’s initials in the criminal complaint — raising the possibility of additional victims.

Police said that parents who believe their child was victimized should call the Marion Police Department at (319) 377-1511.

Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com