| For Immediate Release Case # 09NF2655
|
Susan Kang Schroeder Public Affairs Counsel Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718 Farrah Emami |
FORMER GYMNASTICS COACH CONVICTED
OF UNLAWFUL SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP
WITH 16-YEAR-OLD GIRL
*Defendant was serving in U.S. Army at the time of his arrest and was extradited to Orange County from Arizona
FULLERTON – A former gymnastics coach was convicted today of having an unlawful sexual relationship with a 16-year-old girl. Jason Wayne Scofield, 37, formerly of Fullerton, pleaded guilty to the court to two felony counts of unlawful sexual intercourse, two felony counts of oral copulation of a minor, one felony count of sodomy of a person under 18, two felony counts of digital penetration of a minor, and one felony count of sexual penetration by foreign object. The maximum possible sentence for these charges is seven years and eight months in state prison. Scofield is expected to be sentenced to one year in jail and three years of formal probation at his sentencing on March 30, 2010, at 8:30 a.m. in Department N-3, North Justice Center, Fullerton. The People objected today to the court offer, advocating that the defendant should also be required to register as a sex offender.
Scofield met 16-year-old Jane Doe while working as a gymnastics coach at Wildfire Gymnastics in Tustin. Between Feb. 17, 2009, and June 30, 2009, Scofield had an unlawful sexual relationship with the victim on numerous occasions in his car and at his Fullerton home.
Sometime after June 2009, Scofield joined the U.S. Army and was sent to Arizona for his military duty. While serving in Arizona, Jane Doe’s parents learned of the unlawful sexual relationship between their daughter and Scofield after receiving an e-mail from a concerned friend. Charges were filed and a warrant was issued for Scofield on Sept. 18, 2009.
A few days after the issuance of the warrant, Scofield was arrested in Arizona. The defendant was living in Ft. Huachuca, AZ, at the time of his arrest. He was brought back to Orange County, Oct. 21, 2009, to face charges.
Deputy District Attorney Nikki Buracchio of the Sexual Assault Unit is prosecuting this case.
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