A former Aragon High School water polo coach accused of sexually abusing a student collapsed to the floor of a San Mateo County courtroom this morning when he was sentenced to two years in state prison for his crimes, the district attorney said.
Joshua David Tatro, 25, will board a bus to San Quentin State Prison by the end of the week to serve his time, District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said today.
The sentence, imposed by Superior Court Judge Mark Forcum, also calls for Tatro to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. Before he was sentenced, Tatro, of El Granada, read a brief statement to the court in which he apologized for his conduct.
Upon hearing his punishment, he fell to the floor and was visibly shaken, Wagstaffe said. In January, Tatro pleaded guilty to one count of sexual penetration of a minor and one count of sending pornographic material with the intent to seduce a minor.
He was arrested June 1 after a 17-year-old student and water polo player told school officials that Tatro had inappropriately touched her and had sent numerous cellphone pictures of private body parts, prosecutors said.
An additional victim came forward later in June after there was media coverage of Tatro's arrest, according to court documents.
The second alleged victim, also a water polo player, told police Tatro had repeatedly had her over to his home for sleepovers in which sexual encounters allegedly took place, according to the district attorney's office.
Today, Wagstaffe said, "the court denied probation and said his conduct violated community trust and had a great impact on the victim." Tatro has one day's credit for time served.
