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A former Valley soccer coach pleaded guilty today to attempted sexual conduct with a minor and charges related to possessing nude pictures of his roommate’s little boys.
Before his November 2008 arrest, Daniel Cope worked for two years for the American Youth Soccer Organization, coaching games in Phoenix, Tempe, and Chandler. He lived in El Mirage.
None of the soccer kids ever came forward with allegations against Cope — it was his former roommate who turned him in. She alleged he’d molested her two boys, ages 3 and 5, and that she’d found naked pictures of the boys on his computer. A police investigation later found numerous child-porn pictures and videos on the computer.
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The cops who arrested Cope sought charges of child molestation, but instead prosecutors obtained a plea deal from Cope for attempted sexual conduct with a minor; three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor.
Cope, 25, is scheduled to be sentenced on October 12 by Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Christopher Whitten.
UPDATE: Just heard back from the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.
Cope’s plea agreement requires that he be sentenced to between 35 and 50 years in prison, with two lifetime probations.
