California-based show jumper Alec Lawler was arrested on Thursday, January 5 at the Desert International Horse Park in Thermal, California, on multiple felony charges relating to seducing a minor.
Lawler was booked at the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio and was released on Friday, January 6th after posting $140,000 in bail. He is facing 20 charges, including 15 counts of penal code 288.2A2: Sending Harmful Matter with Intent to Seduce a Minor and five counts of penal code 288.3A, Contacting a Minor for Sexual Purposes.
Lawler graduated from Stanford University in 2014. The 30-year-old rider/trainer for Alec Lawler Show Jumping, based out of Meadow Grove Farm, in Lake View Terrace, California, set out on his own in 2020. He currently campaigns four horses at the international level and is ranked No. 468 on the Longines World Rankings.
No details are yet known about the alleged victim, and Lawler is not currently listed in the U.S. Center for Safesport’s Disciplinary Database. At press time, representatives for Alec Lawler had not responded to a request for comment.
Update: January 11, 2023:
MeadowGrow Farm’s Susie Schroer released the following statement on Instagram:
“All of us at MeadowGrove were deeply troubled when we learned of the news of the allegations made against Alec Lawler and his subsequent arrest and we are taking this news very seriously. We have reminded all our employees and athletes to revisit their safe sport training. All necessary actions have been taken to completely disassociate MeadowGrove from Alec Lawler moving forward. We greatly value our clients and have always been and will remain committed to maintaining a program that is free from any types of inappropriate behavior or misconduct. We remain steadfast in the protection of our students and doing everything we can to support our MeadowGrove family and the greater equine community” – Susie Schroer