FRESNO -- Prosecutors have offered a deal to a California teen wrestler charged with sexual battery for ramming his fingers into the rectum of his high school opponent during a practice match.

The 17-year-old Clovis youth, who has been expelled by the school, faces trial in Fresno on Thursday.

Clovis police say the July penetration incident led to the charge, but defense lawyer Stephen Quade says the teenager used a legitimate wrestling move called the "butt drag."

The Fresno Bee says prosecutors met with Quade on Tuesday to offer a deal: The case would be dismissed if the teenager stayed out of trouble for several months. It would not require the youth to admit guilt.

But Quade says his client will likely reject the offer because he didn't do anything wrong.

One wrestling move, and the extent to which it gets applied, has come under controversy recently with a wrestler from Buchanan High School facing sexual battery for performing the butt drag maneuver on a teammate during a practice.

The move involves a wrestler grabbing an opponent between the buttocks to turn them. It also has been known to involve putting fingers in the anus to get leverage.


The move was taught to the wrestler by his coaches and many coaches are saying it is a completely justifiable move and that it has been around for decades.

The alleged victim’s father said the accused wrestler inserted his fingers deep into the boy’s anus for at least 30 seconds, causing him pain. The victim also alleges that the accused targeted his son, bullied him and was the reason why he used the move.

The accused wrestler has been expelled and his trial is set to begin today.

Local wrestling coaches Keith Mettler and Rod Gaines hadn’t heard about the specific incident, but are familiar with the move. Mettler, the head coach at Lodi High, said he doesn’t think very many kids in this area are taught the maneuver.

“I know I don’t teach it. I don’t think Rod teaches it, I don’t think that any of the coaches in this area teach it,” Mettler said. “It is more of a move that seems like is used by the more advanced schools, the ones that do really, really well and they are very aggressive. They tend to go that way and I have heard that some guys are going really deep with it and it is crazy. I don’t agree with it, I don’t like that move, but until they outlaw it, it is going to be legal.”Tokay head coach Rod Gaines called the move the butt hook and said that it does frequently happen in wrestling, but he doesn’t think it happens to the extent that is being suggested in the Buchanan High School case. He thinks it is a fast motion that happens quickly to gain a strategic position.

“When it is used to score points I think it is OK, but when it is used to inflect pain or to embarrass someone, then that’s not OK,” Gaines said.

OneBuckeye;593848 wrote:If you go to your county fair that is one controls a sheep in the show ring...

Scarlet_Buckeye;593894 wrote:That's just wrong. I hope they win their suit.

Fab1b;593905 wrote:It is not legal. The butt drag doesn't include fingers INTO the ass!! This is BS!! You grab the buttock just like you would a knee or thigh but you don't insert fingers my god. I love how the article said coaches were defending the move!! Can wrestling ever catch a break?? I officiate HS wrestling and if this happened in my match the wrestler would be ejected for flagrant misconduct!!

Skyhook79;593930 wrote:I bet you wouldn't if it were 2 girls wrestling!!

Mulva;593974 wrote:Wrestling was gay enough when it was just sweaty guys in tight leotards rolling around on top of each other. But anal fingering just puts it right over the top.

Fab1b;593986 wrote:Bullshit post you know nothing of this sport