A former North County substitute teacher and youth sports coach arrested last year on suspicion of molesting a 13-year-old girl at an Oceanside park pleaded guilty in Vista Superior Court this week to felony sex crimes.
Conner Chanove, 28, is set to be sentenced next month to 10 years in state prison following his pleas Monday to charges of lewd acts on a child, contacting a minor with the intent of committing a sexual offense and attending and arranging an illicit meeting with a minor.
Chanove was arrested after a woman told police she found her daughter with a man in a vehicle at Guajome Lake Park on Nov. 18.
“The mother noticed inappropriate activity was taking place and removed her daughter from the vehicle and confronted the suspect,” Oceanside police Sgt. Josh Morris said last fall.
At the time of his arrest, Chanove was employed by the Vista Unified School District as a substitute teacher and worked as a coach for the Carlsbad-based all-girls Seaside Water Polo Club. He was also previously employed as a lifeguard in Carlsbad and Encinitas, according to police.
In a statement issued around the time of his arrest, the Vista Unified School District said, “We are appalled by the thought that someone trusted to work with our children would betray their trust and innocence. Please be assured that this adult will not be on any campus in the district and that our administrative team will cooperate fully with law enforcement to ensure that justice is served.”
Chanove was out of custody at the time of Monday’s change of plea but was booked into county jail at the conclusion of the hearing. He is in sheriff’s custody without bail and is due for sentencing on Aug. 5.
