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Former Coach Found Guilty in Sex-Abuse Case
After hearing weeks of testimony, a Superior Court jury on Tuesday found former Santa Barbara High School tennis coach Peter Jeschke guilty of having sex with a player on his team in 2007.
Jeschke was found guilty on seven counts of sexual misconduct, including unlawful sexual intercourse, oral copulation and sex with a foreign object. He also was found guilty of providing marijuana to a person older than 14 and for possession of marijuana.
Jeschke had faced charges of providing alcohol to minors, but was not found guilty. He also was accused of providing cocaine and ecstasy to the victim, then 16, but a hung jury issued a 7-5 vote.
Deputy attorney Joyce Dudley said Jeschke faces 10 years in prison. He will be sentenced June 24.
She said prosecutors also will press charges on three counts of witness intimidation, which came to light near the end of the trial.
Jeschke had contacted one of his former tennis players, now in college, and asked her to send threatening Facebook messages to Jeschke’s accuser. The messages were sent just before she took the stand, saying she would “be ripped apart and look like a complete idiot” if she testified against him.
Throughout the trial, many others came forward to testify, including other girls on the tennis team, girls who received private lessons from Jeschke, school administrators, and friends and parents of the girl who had the sexual encounter with Jeschke.
Last week, the girl, now 18, faced hours of questioning from Dudley and from Jeschke’s Los Angeles-based defense attorney, Lara Yeretsian. In her unemotional testimony, the girl recounted having sex with Jeschke twice in November 2007, once in his car and once at a house he was watching for a friend.
Dudley said she was satisfied with the jury’s verdict.
“I think the very clear message is that when these things are reported, they will be taken seriously,” she said, adding that each one of the girl’s allegations on sex charges was prosecuted. “That’s huge. She can go on with her life, now that he’s behind bars.”
— Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
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» on 05.13.09 @ 05:33 AM
I continue to find it interesting that the student who was having sex with her tennis coach didn’t complain about an inappropriate sexual relationship until after she’d contracted HPV. Don’t get me wrong. What the coach did was totally wrong and against the law but this student surely wasn’t Miss Goodie Two Shoes!
» on 05.13.09 @ 10:12 AM
The 15 year old girl was carefully selected as an easy target by the 34 year old predator. A coach is supposed to act as a mentor…someone for the students respect and trust. He violated all aspects of his commitment to the parents, head coach Steve Geremia, the SB High School Administration and, most damaging, the students who were placed in his care. He supplied drugs and alcohol to both the boy’s and girl’s teams while they were away at tournaments and asked tennis team players to lie for him, even after he was arrested. The students and parents involved in this mess will have a difficult time trusting any coach or teacher, causing long-term damage from all sides.
By the way, the victimized girl didn’t turn him in. Her close friend and teammate had the courage to step up and contact the school administration, who then contacted the police. So the disgruntled girlfriend seeking revenge theory doesn’t play out well. She would not have come forward and there would surely be more victims and further damage. To place any blame on her is misguided and inappropriate.
» on 05.13.09 @ 02:46 PM
this is disgusting. its obviously 90 percent made up by this girl. this is another case of a girl liking a guy who doesnt want her so she says he raped her…. so annoying
» on 05.13.09 @ 04:31 PM
When a coach has sex with his 16 year old student it is unlawful intercourse even if she consents. Its wrong and I hope the guy gets the max and rots for 10 years. He’ll probably be getting some unlawful sex in jail. Now that is justice.
» on 05.14.09 @ 05:02 PM
“Mr Woodburg” - your comment shows your complete lack of knowledge of this case, as well as the law, and smacks of bias suggesting you are an associate of Peter Jeschke but, perhaps, I am wrong about that. The law states that it is unlawful for a 34 year old man to have sex with a 16 year old girl. Regardless of if she consented or not. If she didn’t consent it would be rape - if she did consent it would still be illegal because she is under age. There was no contention that he raped her, just had unlawful sexual intercourse with her. Jeschke’s crimes are that much worse because he was an authority figure in the victim’s life.
Now, in this case phone calls were recorded between the victim and Jeschke by police when Jeschke didn’t know he was being recorded. In the calls he clearly admitted having had sex with the victim, told her he loved her, wanted to marry her, etc. He clearly, and undeniably, admitted having sex with her. This is not “90%” made up by “the girl” - It was 100% admitted to by Jeschke. Also, many of the young people testified to his sexually innappropriate behavior with many of the young people and his habitual providing of alcohol and drugs to under-age teenagers. This was all proven in court, decided upon by a jury, and that is it.
So, either you are simply speaking from a misinformed position, or you are a Jeschke associate who believes society should encourage 34 year old coaches to have active sex lives with their 16 year old students while filling them with drugs and alcohol, or you don’t know Jeschke and you are just a garden variety idiot.
‘Nuf said.
» on 05.14.09 @ 06:47 PM
I hope the girls’ parents sue him for providing drugs to their daughters!
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