California swimming coach arrested for inappropriately touching athlete

A swimming coach in California's Bay Area has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a swimmer after a disturbing series of events that included him touching her inappropriately multiple times.

As first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle and followed up by the Associated Press and NBC Bay Area, Aragon (Calif.) High swim and water polo coach Joshua Tatro was arrested on Friday and handed multiple serious charges. Among them are counts of sexual assault on a minor and committing lewd acts with a minor.

Tatro, 25, had served at the school for a year, but the El Granada, Calif., resident's future at the school seems in significant doubt after an investigation which began in May culminated with the coach held in San Mateo County Jail on $25,000 bond.

While the exact details of Tatro's inappropriate interactions with the unnamed young swimmer remain uncertain, NBC Bay Area reported Tatro's victim reported the relationship to authorities herself, providing significant evidence against the coach off her cell phone.

Among other enticements, Tatro reportedly promised his alleged victim a Division I scholarship.

It remains to be seen if the charges against Tatro hold up, but at least one prosecuting attorney in the case was already speaking out in hopes of encouraging high school athletic directors to take a more active role in ensuring that all those who have access to young athletes are suitably screened to do so.

"Athletic directors need to keep a closer eye on the behavior of their coaches and school districts need to do a better job of performing background checks and screening on their employees so that coaches stick to coaching," attorney Robert Allard told NBC Bay Area.

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