Sydney, Feb 23 : A former Australian swim coach, whose namesake club had become famous for its elite competitors, has pleaded guilty in a US court to child sexual abuse involving one of his former swimmers.

Rick Curl had reportedly initiated sexual contact in 1983 with one of his swimmers Kelley Currin, then a teenager, which continued until 1987, when Currin left the area, following which the swimmer and her parents entered into a 150,000 dollar confidentiality deal with Curl, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

According to prosecutors, Currin, who had decided to come forward with the allegations against Curl last summer, planned to deliver a victim impact statement at the sentencing.

Curl was subsequently banned from USA Swimming, the sport''s governing body and criminally charged, and his namesake organisation, the Curl-Burke Swim Club, has since been renamed the Nation's Capital Swim Club, the report added. (ANI)