A former Windsor volleyball coach has been sentenced to eight months in jail.
Arthur Yamamoto, 52, pleaded guilty to sexual assault and possession of child porn against a former player and was sentenced on Friday.
Court heard Yanamoto took "inappropriate" photos and videos of a girl under the age of 18 to "motivate her" to stay focused on volleyball.
“She was, on occasion, not as focused as what my client would have wanted her to be and he used inappropriate means and tools by which to keep her focused on volleyball,” said Yanamoto’s lawyer Brian Dube.
No explanation was given, either in court or by Dube, for why naked images would motivate the girl to be a better volleyball player while Yanamoto was a coach at the Genesis Volleyball Club.
But Dube said his client is not an "underlying sexual offender."
“She was never fully nude but she was captured in compromising positions, over a period of time,” added Dube.
Crown attorney Craig Houle told the court he doesn't "buy" the reason, arguing she counted on him and she trusted him and then he tried to use that against her.
Before he was sentenced, Yanamoto stood up in court and said “I apologize to the family for the grief i have caused. I hope all of her dreams come true.”
Justice Lloyd Dean told Yanamoto he destroyed the girls trust in all coaches, especially males, and ruined his reputation.
“Jail is horrible for him, but I'll tell you what is even worse is the fact he now has to give up his passion, and that’s coaching volleyball,“ said Dube.
Yanamoto's name will now be on the Ontario Sex Offender registry for the rest of his life, and he is not allowed to anywhere near where minors might be during his probation of 12 months.
He will never be allowed to coach minors or work with them ever again.
