People v. Rios CA3

BACKGROUND

Rios was a 38-year-old high school cross-country and track and field coach. He also trained young runners through his own private running club. Doe joined his running club when she was in eighth grade. Although she also joined Rios’s school running team when she entered high school, the school’s running team was shut down that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Doe and other runners continued to run with Rios’s private club, which maintained operations. As training progressed, Doe was often faster than her teammates, and she usually found herself ahead of the group with Rios. Rios also hired her to help coach his younger athletes. Over time, Rios increased the amount of time spent with, and attention he gave to, Doe. Between the ages of 14 and 15, when Doe was a freshman in high school, Rios began to physically touch Doe as they ran; placing his hand on Doe’s hip and gently moving her to the side as they ran together on the trail. Although the touching seemed unusual to Doe, she generally enjoyed her time with Rios and viewed him like a father figure. During a car ride after practice, Rios told Doe that he had an “issue,” but he did not elaborate. Later that day, Rios…