Stephen Edward Speed, the former owner of the now-defunct All About Fitness gym, has entered a guilty plea to resolve a series of criminal charges, according to eCourts records from Wednesday, March 18. The plea deal brings a legal conclusion to the case.
Under the terms of the deal, Speed pleaded guilty to the following offenses:
Five counts of disseminating obscenity: Relating to the distribution of explicit materials, including photos taken in the gym’s "red light room."
One count of extortion and two counts of intimidating a witness: Stemming from threats Speed made to a witness, claiming he would share private photos and conversations with their mother and the community unless they recanted their allegations.
Assault by strangulation.
Several other charges were dropped, including three counts of second-degree forcible sex offense, two counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, and a charge of possession of a firearm by a person subject to a domestic violence order.
A judge has ordered Speed to serve five years of supervised probation. Additionally, the court imposed three suspended prison sentences that will only be activated if Speed violates his probation terms:
16 to 29 months
13 to 25 months
6 to 17 months
If activated, these sentences would run consecutively. Speed is also strictly prohibited from having any contact with the victim for any reason.
The End of All About Fitness
The gym, formerly located at 177 Waynesville Plaza, is permanently closed. While the business faced immediate fallout following the initial investigation and Speed’s surrender to the Haywood County Detention Center, the physical facility was ultimately damaged by severe weather. The damage to the Plaza was extensive, contributing to the closure of the business.
Speed pleaded guilty to the following offenses: Five counts of disseminating obscenity relating to the distribution of explicit materials, including photos taken in the gym’s "red light room," according to court records; one count of extortion and two counts of intimidating a witness stemming from threats Speed made to a witness, claiming he would share private photos and conversations with their mother and the community unless they recanted their allegations; and assault by strangulation. ```