BARTOW – Six figures is what it will cost to a bail a Lakeland gymnastics coach out of the Polk County Jail.
Alexander Katchalov, 21, was arrested Tuesday night outside Elite World Gymnastics, where he coaches gymnasts for ages 3 to 15, on 24 counts of child pornography. Katchalov was given a bail amount of $120,000 or $5,000 per count by Judge Barry W. Bennett during his first appearance Wednesday afternoon.
“I have found probable cause, by the way,” Bennett said. “I read the affidavit.”
Defense attorney Jeff Holmes petitioned Bennett to reduce the amount to $2,500 per charge, which would have amounted to $60,000 in total bail, but to no avail.
“These are serious allegations; I concede that, but they’re still only allegations,” Holmes said. “He’s lived here all of his life and has never been in trouble before.”
Holmes added that Katchalov was not a flight risk. Katchalov’s parents, Mikhail and Irina Katchalov, own the Lakeland gymnasium at 5390 State Road 33.
Polk Sheriff Grady Judd said during a news conference Tuesday night that Katchalov was charged with 22 counts — 21 video clips and one image — but two more images were later found on Katchalov’s phone. According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Katchalov possessed video clips of children as young as 3 years old and as old as 11.
According to USA Gymnastics’ website, Katchalov competed in world competitions for his age group of 17 and 18 in 2013 and 2014. Judd said Katchalov has been viewing and downloading child pornography since 2011.
Judd added Tuesday night that Katchalov had downloaded and viewed child pornography at the Lakeland gym where he lived and was employed, but there is no evidence that his family knew about the pornography. There was also no evidence Katchalov had ever touched a child inappropriately at the location.
Mike Ferguson can be reached at Mike.Ferguson@theledger.com or 863-401-6981. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson.