Former St. Francis High School track coach convicted of sexually assaulting student
SACRAMENTO — A former track and cross-country coach at St. Francis High School was convicted of eight counts of sexual assault against a 15-year-old student, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Aaron Daniel Rios was convicted of several crimes, including one count of forcible digital penetration of a minor, one count of sexual battery by restraint, and six counts of lewd and lascivious acts on a minor, the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office said in a news release.
In addition to being a school coach, Rios also coached a private running group called Sac Elite, which included students. Rios had initially met the victim, then 13, in 2018 when she joined Sac Elite.
The pandemic shut down the school's running program in March 2020 and resulted in Sac Elite running in smaller groups. Prosecutors said this is when Rios began running more closely with the victim and gradually developing an inappropriate relationship with her.
Rios told the victim to keep the illicit acts secret and even downloaded an app on her phone that deleted messages he would send her after she received them.
Rios faces a maximum sentence of 16 years and eight months in prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Dec. 14.
