SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A former University City High School science teacher and cross-country coach arrested last year for trying to meet a teenage girl for sex was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison.
Sean Stevenson was arrested Oct. 24 after he arrived at a pre-arranged meeting location where he was prepared to pay $140 for sex acts with a person he believed was a 16-year-old girl. However, the person Stevenson had arranged the meeting with was actually an undercover police officer.
Stevenson pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal count of attempted enticement of a minor.
According to court documents, the investigation into Stevenson began with the arrests of a pimp and prostitute in April of 2023. After searching the prostitute's cell phone, investigators found text messages between her and a San Diego-area phone number prosecutors say belongs to Stevenson.
The user of the San Diego cell number offered the woman "a finder's fee payment ... if she could provide him with an underage prostitute," court documents state.
The U.S. Attorney's Office alleges Stevenson told the woman, "The younger the better" and "Just keep it in mind if you come across any high school age girls."
An undercover officer later posed as the prostitute and in messages with Stevenson, offered her 16-year-old cousin for sex.
Stevenson arrived at the meeting location, where he was arrested. Investigators found the agreed-upon $140 in cash inside his car.
Following his release from prison, he will be placed on supervised release for 15 years and must register as a sex offender.
Stevenson told U.S. District Judge Anthony Battaglia, "I'm horrified by my actions and I will be happy to participate in any programs that the government deems necessary. You will never see me again under these circumstances."
His defense attorney, Dana Grimes, requested in court that Stevenson be placed in a prison that can offer him participation in a sex offender treatment program.
She wrote in a sentencing memorandum that Stevenson "is immensely remorseful for his conduct underpinning this case and has accepted the fact that his life as he knew it, including his career and a significant amount of his freedom, is over."
She also wrote that he is at low risk to re-offend and there was no evidence of any inappropriate conduct involving minors during his coaching or teaching career. Grimes' memorandum states Stevenson is a San Diego State University graduate and had been teaching at University City High School for nine years at the time of his arrest.
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