VISTA — A former employee of the Vista Unified School District and North County water polo coach was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Monday after molesting a 13-year-old girl at a park in Oceanside last year.
Conner Chanove, 28, of Carlsbad, received a stipulated 10-year sentence in Vista Superior Court as part of a plea deal reached in July. He pleaded guilty to four felony counts — two counts of child molestation, one count of luring a minor for sex, and one count of attending an arranged illicit meeting with a minor.
Chanove was arrested in November after the mother of the 13-year-old discovered her daughter with Chanove in the backseat of his parked car at Guajome Regional Park in Oceanside. The girl later stated that she kissed him and touched his penis.
Speaking through tears at Monday’s hearing, the girl’s mother stated that Chanove had groomed her daughter for several months and taken advantage of her trust. On the day of the assault, he invited her to a park and provided her with alcohol before luring her into his car, she claimed.
“You did unthinkable, unimaginable, disgusting things to her, a child,” her mother said. “You stripped her of her innocence and trust in adults, teachers, and people overall.”
Law enforcement later found Snapchat messages between Chanove and the child detailing plans to meet at the park on the day of the incident.
It is unclear what position Chanove held in the school district at the time of the assault. Vista Unified representatives stated last fall that he worked part-time as a substitute teacher, counselor and instructional aide, but that he was not a counselor at the time.
In statements made in court, the girl’s family members referred to him as both her “counselor” and her “teacher.”
According to her family, the assault has caused the once happy and funny girl to become depressed, withdrawn and even suicidal, and forced her to change schools halfway through eighth grade.
“She’s a strong girl, and very insightful. She has a wonderful support system and a lot of people who love her. She will get through this, but she will never be the same as she would’ve been,” said her grandmother.
Chanove did not speak at the sentencing hearing but did submit an apology letter, according to Judge Robert J. Kearney. Several individuals also submitted support letters attesting to his good character.
Chanove will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release.
