HARRISBURG, PA — A Blair County jury has found former Bellwood Antis School District varsity wrestling coach Timothy Andrekovich guilty of endangering the welfare of a child, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced this week.
The conviction follows a two-day trial during which prosecutors argued that Andrekovich, 59, failed to adequately protect students under his supervision after being made aware of an ongoing investigation into serious allegations against junior high wrestling coach Ryan Blazier. The jury returned its verdict late Tuesday afternoon. Sentencing is scheduled for August 25.
According to evidence presented in court, Blazier was under investigation for child sexual abuse as early as December 2019. During that period, Andrekovich was responsible for implementing a safety plan designed to limit Blazier’s contact with students. Prosecutors contended that Andrekovich did not properly enforce this plan, ultimately allowing Blazier to continue unsupervised interactions with young athletes.
Attorney General Sunday emphasized the breach of trust inherent in Andrekovich’s actions. “As head wrestling coach, the defendant was supposed to be looking out for his wrestlers. Instead, when notified of a potential threat, he abdicated his responsibility to protect those students,” Sunday stated.
Blazier was later convicted of sexual assault and received a lengthy prison sentence in June 2023.
The case against Andrekovich was prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Julia van Leeuwen and Senior Deputy Attorney General Lauren Eichelberger from the Criminal Prosecutions Section.
It is important to remember that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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