Former Kansas wrestling coach sentenced for having sex with teenage students
BURLINGTON (KSNT) - A former wrestling coach from Burlington has been sentenced for the sexual abuse of two teens Friday.
Melissa Underwood with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) said in a press release on Jan. 10 that Michael Vander Linden was sentenced on Jan. 9 to three years in prison and lifetime registration as a registered offender for three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. Vander Linden previously served as the Burlington High School wrestling coach and a teacher.
Vander Linden pleaded no contest to the three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child on Oct. 31, 2024, according to the KBI. His other charges were dismissed.
KBI agents took 31-year-old Vander Linden into custody in February 2024 after two former students reported to law enforcement he had engaged in sexual intercourse with them between 2012 and 2013. Both students were 15-years-old at the time.
Vander Linden has been remanded to the custody of the Coffey County Sheriff's Office. He will later be transferred to the Kansas Department of Corrections to fulfill his sentence.
You can reach the Kansas registered offenders list kept by the KBI by heading to the agency's website. You can contact the KBI regarding suspicious activity by calling 1-800-KS-CRIME or by clicking here.
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