SR coach faces more sex charges

A Santa Rosa man and former girls soccer coach is facing a total of eight charges involving sexual acts with a minor, including allegations that a teenage victim was intoxicated or incapable of resisting, according to the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office.

Richard Alexander Vives, 42, soccer coach for Piner High School's junior varsity girls team and a longtime area soccer enthusiast and referee, was bailed out of Sonoma County Jail on Friday after being arrested on suspicion of three sex-related charges. Those charges have been revised to seven felony counts and one misdemeanor.

He is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 30 to be formally arraigned on the charges.

"We will appear in court, enter pleas of 'not guilty,' and the case will proceed in an orderly and calm fashion," said Sebastopol defense attorney Kristine Burk, who is representing Vives.

"We deny the allegations," Burk said.

Santa Rosa police detectives spent about a week investigating allegations against Vives, leading to his arrest Wednesday as he arrived at Piner High.

Detectives are releasing few details of the case, including if the allegations involve more than one person. Police officials Monday did say the alleged incidents occurred within the past few weeks.

According to courthouse sources familiar with the case, there is one alleged victim, a 16-year-old girl. The teen isn't a soccer player and has no connection to Vives through his refereeing or coaching and the charges have nothing to do with his connection with Piner High, according to sources.

Prosecutors have added counts of sexual penetration and oral copulation when the victim was prevented from resisting due to an intoxicating or anesthetic substance, which should have been known by the accused.

Other new charges included inappropriate touching, a misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor involving providing alcohol to the girl and lewd or lascivious acts.

"Mr. Vives takes these charges very seriously. He respects the court process, and we disagree with the charges," Burk said.

Vives was associated with the northwest Santa Rosa high school for only one month. He was a longtime board member and coach for the Northwest Oaks Youth Soccer Club. He also served as referee coordinator for the Santa Rosa United Soccer club.

Burk called for calm in the community surrounding the allegations and arrest so that "he and his family will be able to deal with this difficult time."

You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 521-5412 or randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com.