SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A former St. Francis High School coach was convicted of multiple counts of sexual assault on a minor, the Sacramento County District Attorney's office announced Tuesday.
Aaron Daniel Rios was a track and cross-country coach for the school at the time of the incident and he was also a coach for private running group "Sac Elite." He met the then 13-year-old victim in 2018 when she joined his running group.
After the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, authorities said he started growing closer with the victim and developed an inappropriate relationship with her as they ran in smaller groups.
The district attorney's office said he sent her inappropriate messages over the phone and had them deleted by a special app he downloaded for her.
In early July 2020, he kissed her on the mouth and told her it would be their "little secret," according to a news release from the district attorney's office. In a separate incident, authorities said he also grabbed her from behind and groped her despite her efforts to get away.
A jury convicted Rios on eight counts of sexual assault against a minor and also determined he took advantage of his position of trust. Those counts include:
- one count of forcible digital penetration of a minor
- one count of sexual battery by restraint
- six counts of lewd and lascivious acts on a 15-year-old
He faces a maximum sentence of 16 years and eight months in prison.
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