A Twin Cities gymnastics coach has been charged with two felony counts in connection with sending sexually explicit messages on Snapchat to a child for five years while instructing him at gyms in Little Canada and Brooklyn Park.

David Robert Carlson, 35, of New Brighton admitted to many of the allegations that include talking to the child about the size of his genitals and masturbation, according to the criminal complaint. He's charged in Hennepin County District Court with engaging in electronic communication describing sexual conduct with a child and is not in custody after making a first court appearance earlier this week.

His Minneapolis attorney, Drake Metzger, said Friday that, despite Carlson admitting to allegations, what is said in an interrogation can be taken out of context.

"The law still presumes that he's innocent. I haven't seen any of the discovery yet, so I don't have any comment beyond that."

According to the criminal complaint:

Brooklyn Park police received a report last August from a mandated reporter. At the time the alleged victim was 17 and told the reporter that his gymnastics coach was inappropriate online and in person. This behavior is alleged to have spanned 2015 to 2019 when he was 10 to 15 years old. Carlson was his coach the entire time. Allegations include licking the victim's ears, inappropriate touching and Snapchats instructing him how to masturbate. He also accused Carlson of sending him photos in sexual positions.

His mother told police that her son was in a trampoline and tumbling program at Midwest Gymnastics in Little Canada before switching to Gleason's Gymnastics School in Brooklyn Park.

In an interview at CornerHouse, a children's advocacy center, he said Carlson sent pornographic videos, encouraged him to use drugs and sent photos of himself in the shower and masturbating. All conversations were on Snapchat and none have been saved.

Carlson told police he was his coach and lived in New Hope at the time. He coached from 2015 to 2020. Carlson confirmed he talked to him on Snapchat about sex, drugs and masturbation, and sent sexually explicit GIFs and memes "as a joke."

"Most importantly," the complaint states, "[he] did confirm talking to victim about his penis size and that he understands these conversations were inappropriate."

Carlson's next court appearance is Sept. 14.