Oct 15, 2009 10:10 pm US/Pacific
Detective: Sonoma Soccer Coach Had Sex With Teen
SANTA ROSA (BCN) ―
The attorney for former Sonoma Valley soccer coach Gregory Tatton questioned the credibility Thursday afternoon of the 16-year-old female player Tatton is accused of having unlawful sex with over a seven-month period in 2007.
Under cross examination by attorney Ethan Balogh at Tatton's preliminary hearing Thursday afternoon, Sonoma County Sheriff's Department sexual assault investigator Jake Vivian said the girl denied having a sexual relationship with the 43-year-old coach when she was confronted by her mother in December 2007.
Her mother became suspicious about the relationship between her daughter and the coach because of amorous text messages Tatton allegedly sent to two cell phones he gave the girl, Vivian testified Thursday morning.
During an interview at the Redwood Children's Center in Santa Rosa on Feb. 2, 2008, the girl also denied having a sexual relationship with Tatton, Vivian said. The girl said her parents and a counselor accused her of having a relationship with Tatton, Vivian said.
The girl said if it were true she would have acknowledged it, Vivian said.
The sheriff's department then suspended the investigation until January 2009 when the mother told him her daughter had changed her story, Vivian said. The girl then provided details of the alleged ongoing affair during interviews on Jan. 27, Feb. 16 and April 10 of 2009, Vivian said.
Tatton was arrested in West Hollywood on April 3. He is charged with 18 counts of sex with a minor more than three years younger than him, six counts of oral copulation with a person under age 18 and seven counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child 14 or 15 years old and more than 10 years younger him.
The alleged sexual conduct occurred between May and November 2007 when the girl quit the soccer team and left Sonoma Valley High School for independent study. The traveling Sonoma Valley Youth Soccer Association's Arsenal club team that Tatton coached is not affiliated with the high school.
Vivian also testified he learned during his investigation that Tatton was a friend of the girl's family and that he accompanied them on outings together, including a trip to Oregon.
Vivian also said the first complaint filed by the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office against Tatton incorrectly alleged the sexual offenses occurred between July 2006 and July 2007. Vivian said he didn't notice the errors in the dates. The complaint was amended to reflect the 2007 timeframe.
Vivian's testimony resumes Friday morning. Judge Arthur Wick recessed the hearing early Thursday afternoon to allow Vivian to consult an attorney before testifying further about a Verizon Wireless document that was used to arrest Tatton.
(© CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Bay City News contributed to this report.)
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