High School

Former Massachusetts High School Wrestling Coach Convicted In Federal Court

Stephen Lemelin convicted of attempting to send obscene material to minor

Dana Becker

A judge's gavel rests on the bench inside one of the courtrooms at the new Family Court of Delaware building in Georgetown on November 12, 2025.
A judge's gavel rests on the bench inside one of the courtrooms at the new Family Court of Delaware building in Georgetown on November 12, 2025. / Damian Giletto/Delaware News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A former Massachusetts high school wrestling coach has been convicted of serious crimes in a United States District Court.

Stephen Lemelin, who previously served as the head coach at Burlington High School, was convicted of three counts of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. The sentencing for Lemelin, 51 years old, has been scheduled for March 26, 2026 by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris.

Lemelin was arrested back in May 2024 and indicted by a federal grand jury in June of the same year.

Stephen Lemelin Sent Sexually Explicit Messages To Undercover Officer

According to evidence presented during the trial, Lemelin sent sexually explicit messages and obscene material over Kik Messenger for five months to an undercover officer posting as a 14-year-old girl.

Within the messages, Lemelin sent three separate obscene photos of his genitals, with a proposed meeting for sex being mentioned.

The charges of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney, FBI Boston Division Involved In Case

Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, brought the case to light. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E Docks, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division, made the announcement of the charges.

Burlington High School, part of the Burlington Public Schools, boasts an enrollment of just over 1,000. The school was established in 1939. The wrestling team has crowned several state champions, including Tim Vadnais in 2022.

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Dana Becker
DANA BECKER

Dana Becker has been a sports writer in Iowa since 2000, writing for The Fort Dodge Messenger, Mason City Globe-Gazette, Cedar Rapids Gazette and others. Dana resides in northcentral Iowa and started as a writer with SB Live Sports in 2022 focused on the state of Iowa. Along with providing coverage of football and wrestling, Dana also spotlights cross country, swimming, basketball, track and field, soccer, tennis, golf, baseball and softball. He began writing for High School on SI in 2023.

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