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Swim Coach Charged With Having Sexual Relationship With Girl, 15

SANTA ANA (CBS) — A swim coach has been charged with having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old student, Orange County prosecutors said Thursday.

Todd Robert Sousa, 36, of Irvine, was charged Wednesday with 13 felony counts of lewd acts on a child, three felony counts of unlawful sex, and two misdemeanor counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He is scheduled to be arraigned Friday.

Sousa and his wife own Swim Venture Inc. of Laguna Hills, which teaches children and adults to swim in leased pools throughout Orange County.

He allegedly started the relationship last April 1, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

On Feb. 18 of this year, he picked up the girl and her friend from Irvine Spectrum and drove them to his office, where he allegedly gave both teenagers alcohol and then had sex with the girl in another room while her friend waited.

The alleged victim's friend told her parents, who told the other girl's parents, according to prosecutors.

Sousa was arrested Feb. 24 and faces up to 13 years in prison if he's convicted, Orange County sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino said.

He is free on $100,000 bail.

(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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