Former Jefferson City volunteer wrestling coach charged with harrassment

A former volunteer coach at the Jefferson City Wrestling Club is charged with two counts of harassment in Cole County.

Matthew Frye, 47, is accused of harassing two 14-year-old girls online over the course of a year.

Court documents said Frye met the two girls at a wrestling event they were competing in at a local high school.

Frye began sending the girls hundreds of instant messages on Facebook after school, on weekends, and frequently after midnight.

Frye asked the girl uncomfortable questions about their experiences with boys among other inappropriate topics.

Court documents said Frye asked the girls “if they would ride in his car and let him take them out for ice cream.” He elaborated by saying he “had some exciting times with girls in his car when he was in high school besides eating ice cream.”

Frye offered to take pictures of the girls, and said he wished he was younger because he really liked them.

One of the girls posted a photo of a sunburn on Facebook, and Frye allegedly provided “healing solutions” and offered to take care of the issue.

Both girls told police they would have never continued talking to him if he wasn’t their wrestling coach. The girls said they were afraid Frye would treat them unfairly if they weren’t nice to him.

Officers made contact with Frye on Tuesday, and he admitted to sending messages to the girls, but felt he did nothing wrong.

Court documents said Frye has contacted other victims around the same age in the past, and in 2001 admitted to molesting a girl from the time she was 10 years old until she was 14.

Frye was accused in June 2015 of texting a 14-year-old girl he met online, but claimed he was a model agent and offered a private photo shoot to the girl who lived in another state.

Frye is currently in the Cole County Jail on $25,000 bond.