A Colorado youth hockey coach accused of multiple felony offenses involving minors is no longer in custody after a judge initially set his bond at $75,000.
The criminal case involving a Colorado youth hockey coach took another turn after the suspect accused of multiple felony offenses involving minors was released from custody.
According to Douglas County Jail records, 40-year-old Rory Nathaniel Mushlin is no longer being held at the facility after a judge initially set his bond at $75,000.
Mushlin, a Colorado Springs resident, was arrested on June 4 following an investigation by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and faces allegations of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust, unlawful electronic sexual communication with a minor involving a position of trust, obscenity, and internet sexual exploitation of a child.
Douglas County Sheriff’s officials told The Hockey News that Mushlin posted bond on June 5 and was released from custody at 3:02 p.m. local time.
Investigators say multiple underage victims have already been identified.
Authorities allege Mushlin served as a youth hockey coach at the South Suburban Sports Complex in Highlands Ranch beginning in 2023. According to investigators, his teams also practiced at the Parker Field House and the Family Sports Center.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the case and is encouraging anyone with additional information to contact Detective S. Clay at [email protected].
The arrest was first reported by The Denver Post, with reporter Sam Tabachnik breaking the story.
The Hockey News previously reviewed what appeared to be Mushlin’s LinkedIn, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter) profiles following his arrest. After his release from custody, those social media and professional networking accounts were found to have been deleted or were no longer publicly accessible.
The allegations against Mushlin have also renewed attention on youth hockey safety and oversight in Colorado, where another former coach is already serving a lengthy prison sentence for crimes involving minors.
Former Colorado youth hockey coach Kevin Whitmer, a Denver resident and former assistant head coach of the Colorado Thunderbirds, pleaded no contest in 2024 to 12 counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 and one count of possession of child sexual abuse material. Whitmer is expected to serve a 25-year prison sentence.
His criminal case also resulted in a $4.6 million civil settlement involving Sharks Sports & Entertainment and its subsidiary Sharks Ice after a former San Jose Jr. Sharks player alleged he was groomed and sexually abused over several years beginning at age 12.
According to court filings, Whitmer’s abuse occurred at Sharks Ice facilities in San Jose as well as private locations in both California and Colorado after he left the organization. He was ultimately arrested in Denver following a law enforcement investigation.
The civil lawsuit alleged that failures to enforce USA Hockey safety protocols—including rules governing locker-room supervision and one-on-one interactions between adults and minors—allowed Whitmer to maintain unauthorized access to young players. Sharks Sports & Entertainment has maintained it was unaware of any allegations until after Whitmer’s departure, and the case was resolved without an admission of wrongdoing.
With Mushlin now released on bond while the investigation continues, the latest case has intensified ongoing concerns surrounding the screening, supervision, and oversight of coaches who work closely with youth athletes across Colorado hockey programs.