Swim coach pleads guilty, gets 16 months for sexually assaulting teen

An Irvine swim coach pleaded guilty in court Friday to sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl while working as her swim instructor, authorities said.

Todd Robert Sousa, 37, will serve 16 months in state prison after accepting a court offer of 13 counts of lewd acts on a child, three felony counts of unlawful sexual intercourse and two misdemeanor counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according to a news release from the Orange County district attorney’s office.

Sousa was working as an instructor at Swim Venture when he began assaulting the girl, according to prosecutors. The D.A.’s office said that the assaults occurred between April 2010 and February 2011 in the Swim Venture office, an equipment closet and his car.

During the sentencing Friday, the victim’s mother and stepfather said the assaults left the once-avid swimmer depressed and uninterested in the sport, and Sousa’s actions have ruined their lives, according to the D.A.’s office.

— Lauren Williams

Twitter: @lawilliams30