Missing British gold medal-winning sprinter is found in Moroccan prison after ‘sexually assaulting a minor’

A British gold medal-winning sprinter who won two medals at the Commonwealth Games has been jailed for ten months amid allegations he sexually assaulted a minor.

Leon Baptiste, 41, was thought to be missing as of yesterday after going on a trip to Morocco two months ago. 

UK Athletics, where he worked as a consultant sprinting coach, did not know why Baptiste was out of contact – nor did those he worked with.

The coach, who was training top athletes ahead of the upcoming Commonwealth Games, told a group of them that he would be absent ‘for a while’, the BBC reported. 

No further explanation was given to those he coached after that message in May of this year. 

A brief email, sent on behalf of the sprinter, who won the 200m at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, was sent on Tuesday. 

In the correspondence to the athletes he coached, it was announced that Baptiste had resigned, laying blame on unspecified ill health. 

It has since emerged the athlete had been arrested in Marrakech last May, a source from the Moroccan Ministry of Justice told the broadcaster. 

As of yesterday, the 41-year-old (pictured in 2010) was thought to be missing after going on a trip to Morocco two months ago

He was later convicted and is now behind bars in Al-Oudaya prison, the insider added, saying the reports of him being missing were ‘inaccurate’. 

They added the former athlete was ‘not subject to any disappearance or unexplained absence’, and was in good health. 

‘He is currently being held at the local prison in Marrakech, where he is serving a custodial sentence following his conviction by the competent judicial authorities in connection with a misdemeanour case,’ they said.

Morocco’s Public Prosecution Office confirmed his sentencing as well as the crime for which he was convicted to the broadcaster. 

A spokesman said a British national is serving a prison sentence in a local Marrakech prison after a court judgment against him.

Baptiste had been in the North African country alongside three other ex-British athletes, all of whom have returned to British soil, a source said. 

It is understood the athlete’s family are aware of Baptiste’s custodial sentence.

Many top British sprinters, such as Olympic bronze medallist Charlie Dobson and Zac Shaw, who won silver in the Paralympics, have been left without a coach. 

Relay coach Martyn Rooney and European gold medallist Adam Gemili are said to have stepped up to aid sportspeople who have been affected by the former sprinter’s sudden departure. 

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesman said: ‘We are supporting a British national who is detained in Morocco and are in contact with the authorities.’

The Daily Mail has approached UK Athletics for comment.