Douglas County hockey coach arrested on child sex crime allegations

A Douglas County youth hockey coach was arrested June 4 after detectives received a tip about inappropriate behavior with minors, and investigators say families across the south-metro hockey community may still need to come forward.

Rory Nathaniel Mushlin, 40, of Colorado Springs, was taken into custody without incident by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit and booked into the Douglas County Detention Facility. A judge set his bond at $75,000. The allegations listed against him include sexual assault of a child by a person in a position of trust, unlawful electronic sexual communication by a person in a position of trust, obscenity and internet sexual exploitation of a child.

Authorities said Mushlin had served as a youth hockey coach at South Suburban Sports Complex in Highlands Ranch since January 2023, giving him repeated access to young athletes over a long period. Investigators also said the team he coached practiced at Parker Field House in Parker and at the Family Sports Center in Arapahoe County, which expands the list of places families may need to review if they are trying to determine whether a child had contact with him.

Detectives said multiple underage victims have already been identified, but they believe more may exist because of Mushlin’s position around children. That makes this case more than a single arrest. It is now a test of whether youth-sports settings in Douglas County and the surrounding area can identify warning signs quickly enough when a trusted adult has routine access to minors.

The sheriff’s office said the investigation remains open and asked anyone with information, or any parent who believes a child may have had concerning contact with Mushlin, to contact Detective Clay. Officials said the charges are allegations and that Mushlin is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

For families in Highlands Ranch, Parker and the wider south-metro hockey network, the immediate issue is whether their child may have been around Mushlin at South Suburban Sports Complex, Parker Field House or the Family Sports Center. The longer-term issue is whether screening, supervision and reporting systems in local youth sports are strong enough to catch abuse before it reaches multiple children.