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    Taekwondo champ Steven Lopez gets permanent ban for sexual misconduct

    Two-time Olympic champion's ban becomes permanent
    Sep 8, 2018
    In this July 21, 2015 file photo, United States' Steven Lopez celebrates winning a bronze medal by defeating Venezuela's Javier Medina in the men's taekwondo under-80kg category at the Pan Am Games in Mississauga, Ontario. The U.S. Center for SafeSport ha
    PHOTO: ap

    DENVER — The U.S. Center for SafeSport has permanently banned two-time Olympic taekwondo champion Steven Lopez for sexual misconduct involving a minor.

    The center has been investigating Lopez for about four months and made his ban permanent Thursday night (Friday, Manila time). He can still appeal.

    He was suspended in May, a few days after four women filed a lawsuit in federal court accusing USA Taekwondo and the U.S. Olympic Committee of sex trafficking.

    The lawsuit alleges the organizations were long aware that Lopez and his brother, Jean, were sexual predators, but kept sending young women with them to competitions and practices. The plaintiffs have since added the U.S. Center for SafeSport as a defendant.

    Jean Lopez has also been banned on an interim basis.

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    In this July 21, 2015 file photo, United States' Steven Lopez celebrates winning a bronze medal by defeating Venezuela's Javier Medina in the men's taekwondo under-80kg category at the Pan Am Games in Mississauga, Ontario. The U.S. Center for SafeSport ha
    PHOTO: ap
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