Tennis coach in custody on suspicion of sexually assaulting teenage girl

Sonoma County sheriff’s deputies arrested a tennis coach Monday on suspicion of sexually assaulting a girl he was coaching for two years.

Casey Connaway, 43, of Sebastopol, met the girl when she was 15 years old and began establishing an unsolicited emotional relationship with her. Connaway allegedly eventually convinced the girl to have a sexual relationship with him, sheriff’s spokeswoman Misti Wood said.

The girl, now an adult living in Ventura County, informed the sheriff’s office on Oct. 26 about the sexual relationship. The alleged victim said Connaway was still coaching tennis in Sebastopol and she feared there were other assault victims, Wood said.

Sheriff’s detectives and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office investigated the allegations and learned that two minors from out of the area took lessons from Connaway at a tennis camp in Bodega Bay in 2017, Wood said.

A 16-year-old girl told her family she was uncomfortable with some of Connaway’s statements, but detectives determined that a crime had not occurred, Wood said.

Connaway was arrested around 2 p.m. Monday driving near Ragle Ranch Regional Park in Sebastopol. He was booked into Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of sex with a minor, oral copulation with a minor and sexual penetration with an object.

Connaway posted $120,000 bail and was released, Wood said. He is scheduled to appear in Sonoma County Superior Court on Jan. 16.

Anyone who has information about other possible victims is asked to contact sheriff’s Detective Timothy Salyers at (707) 565-8290.

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