Content warning: This story includes references to and descriptions of child sexual abuse.
Kampbell Hemeyer watched a little boy run out of the courtroom, pleading with court officers.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to, I don鈥檛 want to, I don鈥檛 want to go with Dad,鈥� he cried.
The little boy鈥檚 well-worn Ninja Turtles shirt and light-up shoes were nothing like her dress pants and blazer. But when they locked eyes, Hemeyer saw herself in him. She no longer wanted to be in the courthouse. She didn鈥檛 want to face her abuser. For the first time, she turned to her mother and cried.
鈥淢y brain hadn鈥檛 fully grasped the concept of me being there quite yet,鈥� said Hemeyer, who turned 18 not long before the trial. 鈥淚 was about to face my abuser for the first time since everything happened, since before the investigation really got going. I just felt an immense feeling of how none of this is fair for children, kids who are surviving going through court.鈥�
Hemeyer鈥檚 feelings about seeking justice are not unusual. In several cases reviewed by The Midwest Newsroom, offenders might not face legal consequences. Parents grapple with whether to report incidents, and survivors wonder if going to law enforcement with their accusations is worth it.
Hemeyer鈥檚 abuser, former volunteer gymnastics coach David Schneider, is at the South Central Correctional Facility in Licking, Missouri, where he is serving a 50-year prison sentence for four counts of child molestation and one count of attempted molestation.
The charges stem from his time as a gymnastics coach at the now-closed Kids in Motion gymnastics gym in Washington, Missouri, where he volunteered from 2011 to 2014. The gym was owned by Piper Hoemann.
The gym reopened at a new location and under a different name, Fitness Made Fun, in 2018. Its owner is Nadiana Peck, the previous owner鈥檚 daughter. Peck declined to answer questions from The Midwest Newsroom.
Hemeyer and other gymnasts accused Schneider of sexually abusing them during a stretching exercise known as 鈥渙ver splits,鈥� where coaches assist gymnasts by straightening their legs and pushing down on the gymnasts鈥� hips to create a deeper stretch. Often, at least one leg is elevated during the over splits.
Hemeyer said she was around 10 years old when the sexual abuse began. She started at Kids in Motion when she was 8 years old and continued gymnastics until her freshman year of high school.
Schneider was safety certified by USA Gymnastics, the national governing body for the sport, and attended five clinics on upper-level spotting techniques, according to trial documents.
Schneider鈥檚 initial interview with the Washington (Missouri) Police Department about sexual abuse allegations was on Feb. 6, 2018. That same month, USA Gymnastics placed Schneider on its which means he is not eligible to coach at USAG member gyms or USAG meets.
The sanctions came a month after Larry Nassar, the disgraced former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University doctor, . Nassar pleaded guilty to seven counts of criminal sexual conduct and admitted to using his trusted position to assault and molest girls, many of them gymnasts and other athletes, under the guise of medical treatment.
When safeguards fail
Kids in Motion was affiliated and competed with USA Gymnastics until its membership ended when the gym closed. is required for participation and credentialing at USA Gymnastics-sanctioned events. Although coaches at member clubs are not required to be USA Gymnastics members, USAG member clubs are prohibited from allowing anyone on the banned list to coach in their club.
The federal says that all adult members interacting with youth athletes are mandatory reporters. Any suspected child abuse, including sexual abuse, must be reported within 24 hours to the appropriate law enforcement agency.
During his trial, Schneider鈥檚 victims reported that for years, he repeatedly slid his hand down girls鈥� legs and into their shorts during these stretches. The abuse ranged from touching the inside of their shorts, over their leotards, to inside their leotards or even touching their genitals. He would say things like, 鈥淪orry, hon,鈥� to the girls, but make no effort to remove his fingers.
Before coaching Hemeyer and her fellow gymnasts, Schneider played a key role in establishing the swim program at the Four Rivers YMCA in Washington, Missouri, where he coached a team for over a decade. Additionally, he coached another swim team in Union, Missouri. In 2009 he served as the girls volleyball and soccer coach at Crosspoint Christian School in Villa Ridge, Missouri.
Delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and legal proceedings pushed the start of his trial to March 29, 2022. Two days later the Franklin County jury convicted Schneider on four counts of child molestation, and one count of attempted molestation.
Hemeyer was among those who testified against Schneider.
鈥淕oing on stand was hard,鈥� Hemeyer said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e being asked really, really tough questions and being asked by the defense about things that are supposed to trip you up, and you feel like you鈥檙e being victimized all over again.鈥�
Silence or justice?
Danielle Schmidt placed her daughter in gymnastics at Kids in Motion when the child was 5 years old. Schmidt was a coach at the gym and even worked alongside Schneider on occasion. One day after practice, when her daughter was 8 years old, she told her mom she didn鈥檛 like it when coach Dave put her in the over splits. Schmidt asked why, and her daughter responded, 鈥淗e touches me down there.鈥�
The Midwest Newsroom is not using the daughter鈥檚 name because she is a sexual abuse survivor who does not want to be identified.
鈥淪he was absolutely devastated, mortified and angry with me because she did not understand why I had to tell on her,鈥� Schmidt said. 鈥淗er biggest fear was that Dave was going to find out that she told on him. It wasn鈥檛 that he touched her, it was that he was going to be mad at her because she told on him.鈥�
Schmidt called the owner of the gym, Hoemann, whose husband worked as a state trooper. She said Hoemann had Schmidt鈥檚 daughter show her exactly how Schneider was touching her.
Hoemann told Schmidt that her husband 鈥� the state trooper 鈥� said it wouldn鈥檛 be worth pursuing because the court would rule in favor of the coach, Schmidt said. The Midwest Newsroom could not reach Hoemann for comment.
of child sexual abuse investigations found anywhere from 22% to 47% of cases are declined by prosecutors. Further, the researchers found over 90% of cases involving allegations of sexual abuse of a minor did not continue to trial after details were analyzed by the prosecution. Some recent research has shown that while a small proportion of cases result in criminal charges, once charges are lodged, cases are actually much less likely to end in a dismissal.
Schneider has appealed his conviction. Bryan Mathews is the prosecutor currently assigned to the case.
鈥淭he difficulty in these cases is they happen behind closed doors or they鈥檙e one-on-one crimes, typically,鈥� Mathews said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very, very seldom that we have a case where there is an eyewitness who can speak to the actual criminal acts that took place outside of these children.鈥�
Like many parents, Schmidt wanted to protect her child from the ordeal of a trial, and from having to face her abuser.
鈥淚 had to decide whether I was going to put my 8-year-old on the stand all by herself against Dave,鈥� Schmidt said. 鈥淭he more I thought about it, the more I realized putting her, at 8 years old, on trial is probably going to be more emotionally devastating than the act itself.鈥�
'No zones' and caution
Two weeks after Schmidt discussed her concerns with Hoemann, Hoemann sent a memo to the Kids in Motion staff titled 鈥淢olestation Policy.鈥� The memo, reviewed by The Midwest Newsroom, listed positions to avoid, specifically that girls are not to be taken to do the over-splits stretch in a one-on-one setting.
Hoemann wrote in her memo to staff: 鈥淭his gym has been subject to complaints and concerns with direct violations mandated or suggested in our policy. I admonish everyone to take these new policies very seriously. Accusations, whether true or false, can tear apart families, destroy reputations, and tear apart this program which we have tried so hard to build. The following revisions are put into my own words, so they can be better understood. Please understand these policies are for your own safety.鈥�
The memo goes on to list 鈥淣o zones鈥� where gymnasts are to not be touched. It continued, 鈥淢ale coaches be EXTREMELY cautious.鈥�
Under , Hoemann should have reported the abuse to police immediately after Schmidt told her what had happened to her daughter. Hoemann pleaded guilty in 2019 for misdemeanor failure to report child abuse.
鈥淏ecause of your failure to report, (Schneider) was allowed to continue working with little kids,鈥� Franklin County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Michael Hayes asked Hoemann during the trial. 鈥淵es,鈥� Hoemann responded.
'Not set up for children'
Ella Kroeter was 2 years old when she took her first 鈥渕ommy and me鈥� gymnastics class. She loved gymnastics. She was around 6 when Schneider became one of her coaches at Kids in Motion in 2012.
She said Schneider repeatedly put his hands up her shorts and touched her crotch area when she was a third-grader. She remembers telling one of the older girls, Hoemann鈥檚 daughter Gabrella, about the abuse.
鈥淪he (Gabrella) threatened me that if I ever said that again, I would be kicked off the team and out of the gym,鈥� Ella said. 鈥淕ymnastics was everything to me, so I didn鈥檛 say anything else about it.鈥�
On a December morning in 2017, as a news story aired on the family television about the Marshall Faulk sexual harassment case, Ella walked into the room and said, 鈥淚t was like when coach Dave got fired for sticking his hands up our shorts doing the splits.鈥�
The involved Jami Cantor, a former NFL employee, filing a wrongful termination lawsuit claiming the former NFL star and other players had sexually harassed her.
This was the first that Jennifer Kroeter, Ella鈥檚 mother, had heard about Schneider sexually abusing her daughter.
Ella went to school that day, but her parents stayed home from work to discuss the next steps to take. They called Hoemann and set up a meeting with her to discuss the abuse. Hoemann wouldn鈥檛 meet them inside the gym, Kroeter said. Instead, the meeting took place by storage units in the parking lot.
Standing in the cold that day, Ella (by that time, around age 12) told Hoemann her story. According to Jennifer Kroeter, Hoemann asked a few questions and told the family she would get back to them in a week.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 have the guts to go to the police that night,鈥� Jennifer Kroeter said. 鈥淚 was too worried about how it was going to affect her. Once we did, and I saw how it played out, it wasn鈥檛 pretty.鈥�
A week passed, and the family heard nothing from Hoemann, Kroeter said.
Christmas of 2018 came and went. Ella returned to school from break, and while her parents were mulling over what to do, she went to the school counselor, Shelly Struckhoff. Ella told Struckhoff everything that happened, and as a mandated reporter, Struckhoff contacted police.
鈥淚t was like a huge relief, because we just didn鈥檛 know what to do,鈥� Jennifer Kroeter said. 鈥淲e were just like, 鈥極h my God, why didn鈥檛 we just do this two weeks ago?鈥� We were agonizing, asking ourselves, 鈥楧o we want to put our daughter through this?鈥欌��
Jennifer and her husband, Matt Kroeter, both teachers and mandated reporters, have encountered children sharing confessions they were required to report. Jennifer Kroeter has witnessed firsthand how these experiences often fail to deliver the outcomes the children and their loved ones hoped for.
鈥淭he system is not set up to cater to the victims. It鈥檚 set up for the defendants. And there were times when I felt like we were the ones doing something wrong."Jennifer Kroeter, parent
The couple grappled with exposing Ella to the extreme stress of a trial, possibly for nothing.
City of Washington detective Lt. Steve Sitzes was a co-investigator on the case. He said children who testify about abuse face a lot of struggles long after their cases are over. They are often labeled as victims, a title that stays with them throughout high school and even college.
Survivors in the Larry Nassar case have spoken about the relationship they have with the word 鈥渧ictim.鈥� This label was used to define them during the case, and sticks with many of them today.
鈥淵ou never want to tell a parent that they鈥檙e wrong for not letting their child testify,鈥� Sitzes said. "In a small town like this, everybody knows everybody else鈥檚 business. Parents have to ask themselves, 鈥楧o you want that known?鈥欌��
In cases with no physical evidence, juries rely on victim statements to come to a verdict. In the case against Schneider, each girl gave nearly identical testimony. Court records show girls from different classes and ages, many who didn鈥檛 know each other, all described the abuse in the same way.
鈥淎fter going through the trial, I am thankful that I didn鈥檛 do it when (my daughter) was 8,鈥� Danielle Schmidt said. 鈥淗e would have walked free if she was by herself. He would have gotten away with it. So in the end, it was a blessing that I waited and that the numbers had stacked up once the girls were aware and together.鈥�
A team, again
Although the trial came years after the abuse, testifying brought up emotions and memories that took the girls right back to when they were in the gym with Schneider.
鈥淚 just felt an immense, intense feeling of how none of this is fair for children,鈥� Hemeyer said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 really know what to expect and you don鈥檛 know how hard it鈥檚 going to be, going in this room with these officials who are in these robes and look scary, facing really sad situations in your life. And it just felt so unfair to me and to all the girls who were affected by him.鈥�
The trial was a heavy time for all parties involved, but alongside the Schmidt family fighting for justice for their daughter, they were grieving the death of their 12-year-old son. Schmidt and other parents had to take the stand.
鈥淚 knew in the back of my mind that they were going to put me on the stand and rip me apart. I was emotionally vulnerable. I was mentally vulnerable. I was grieving and I knew I was going to be the one that they were going to try and mentally manipulate to win the case. I was terrified,鈥� Schmidt said.
Sitzes said that ultimately, it was the girls鈥� testimony that led to Schneider鈥檚 conviction. In addition to telling their stories, the girls had to demonstrate what the abuse looked like on dolls.
"It took a lot of courage to get up there and tell your story in front of a courtroom full of people. It really did."Lt. Steve Sitzes, City of Washington detective
Today, the gymnasts who testified still experience psychological effects from the sexual abuse they experienced as children.
鈥淚t created trust issues with some of my male coaches, all males, really,鈥� Ella Kroeter said.
An excerpt from Kampbell Hemeyer鈥檚 victim statement shows just how deeply Schneider鈥檚 abuse affected her.
鈥淚 look back at my naive self and I am filled with pity for that little girl. I was roughly 10 years old at the time, and ever since then, my view of physical touch, intimacy, and self-worth is different, wounded if you will, by Dave Schneider鈥檚 actions. My view on the world has been altered, and my life has never been the same.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 like there鈥檚 a part of me that鈥檚 dead inside despite my efforts in ignoring it and convincing myself that I am stronger than my past. A part of me that Coach Dave killed. The part that should embrace the affection shown by loved ones feels damaged; instead of feeling the love they have for me, I feel nervous and anxious at their initial touch.鈥�
Hemeyer said despite these life-altering events, the survivors want to inspire others to get justice from their own abusers.
鈥淭ry not to be scared and be a voice for other victims,鈥� Ella said. 鈥淕et your voice out there; speaking about it helped lift a weight off my shoulders.鈥�
Hemeyer brought up a quote to finish her victim statement: 鈥淟ighthouses don鈥檛 go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining.鈥�
If you need help or support:
There are many resources available for survivors of sexual abuse, harassment, assault or domestic violence. Here are two national resources:
- RAINN, or the , hotline: Call 800-656-4673.
- The National Domestic Violence Crisis hotline: or call 800-799-7233.
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METHODS
To tell this story, reporter Gabrielle Lindemann viewed publicly available documents regarding the David Schnieder case including court opinions, police records and trial transcriptions. She interviewed survivors of sexual abuse and parents of survivors for over a dozen hours. She spoke with experts regarding child sexual abuse and youth sports. This story draws on interviews and documents collected for over two years.
REFERENCES
(The Missourian | June 1, 2022)
(USA Gymnastics | continuously updated)
(CNN | Jan. 24, 2018)
(Congress.Gov | March 6, 2017)
(NJRS | March 2019)
(New York Times | Dec. 12, 2017)
(Casenet | Updated continuously)
Trial documents: Trial transcription, Schneider appeal opinion, memo from Kids in Motion, official charging documents
TYPE OF ARTICLE
News: Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources
