A Salinas police officer and former Alisal High School soccer coach waived his right to a preliminary hearing Tuesday and was ordered to proceed to trial, his defense lawyer said today.
Officer Jesus Manuel Sanchez, a 10-year veteran of the police department, was arrested in July on suspicion of three counts of sexual assault with intent to rape. Prosecutors opted to charge Sanchez with two counts of sexual battery instead.
If convicted of those two counts, he faces a maximum prison term of five years.
Andrew Liu, his private Salinas attorney, said today that Sanchez is expected to appear in court Jan. 12.
Sanchez is charged with committing the crime against the same woman twice over a three-year span between May 1, 2002 and May 31, 2005.
He is accused of committing the crime both near Sherwood Hall and at El Sausal Middle School, part of the Salinas Union High School District.
Sanchez was the coach of the Alisal High School boys varsity soccer team for five years before leaving the position in 2008. During his coaching years, Sanchez was named The Salinas Californian's All-County Boys Coach of the Year four times.
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