Offense of a Sex Offender

In today's LA Times:

"An Orange County (California) swim instructor has been sentenced to 16 months in state prison for sexually assaulting two teenage females he met through coaching, authorities said Tuesday. Todd Robert Sousa, 39, co-owned and taught classes for a swim school that offered lessons for children and adults, according to the Orange County district attorney's office.

"He was accused of assaulting two 15-year-olds at an Orange County hotel in September 2009, prosecutors said. He had sex with one of the victims after she turned 16. He pleaded guilty in June to six felony counts of lewd acts upon a child and one felony count of unlawful sexual intercourse.

"In a separate case, Sousa pleaded guilty in October 2011 to 13 felony counts of lewd acts on a child and three counts of unlawful sexual intercourse, prosecutors said."

What's going on here? How does this man, after having a prior set of convictions of child sex abuse, continue to be permitted to work with children, especially girls, and apparently not be registered as a sex offender? Why are we so concerned with the rights of the criminal, while not protecting all our children, especially our daughters, from exposure to such a vile individual? After all, once he admitted guilt in 2011, it is the same as a conviction and none of his constitutional rights would be violated.

I have issues, generally, when adults of one sex coach children of the other. Even at the college level, many schools have male coaches coaching female players. Why?

Yes, in theory, we are an enlightened society and, as such, we shouldn't discriminate against people to hold a job based on sex. And in most occupations, there is no exposure to succumb to temptations of the flesh. But in sports, when coaches walk through a locker room or shower, in my view, discretion is really the better part of valor. Why would anyone want to place themselves in a position where impropriety could be assumed, even if none exists? I wouldn't. 

Perhaps, I am a bit old fashioned but I think coaches should be coaching children of the same gender. Yes, perverts are perverts no matter what the sex of the victim might be. But, common sense should also prevail.

Sousa's behavior is not the prevalent behavior of most male coaches. I coached girls and boys in a church sponsored soccer league. There was no issue here because the kids went home to shower after practice or the game. But, as a man who has a daughter, I also would have prevented her from being placed in an uncomfortable position where a male coach had access to the girl's locker room. 

This, finally, should be the lesson of the Sousa case. Men should not be permitted to coach girls or young women, nor should women coach boys or young men. I am sure schools and businesses can find qualified individuals to coach people of the same gender. 

As for Sousa? Perhaps, finally, he should be classified as what he is: a sex offender. Never again, then, will he be given the opportunity to violate our children, boys or girls.

It's not too late to right this wrong.