Former Vancouver Whitecaps coach Bob Birarda’s pre-sentencing hearing begins

Former Vancouver Whitecaps coach Bob Birarda is expected back in court for a pre-sentencing report on Wednesday.

Birarda pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault and one count of touching a young person for a sexual purpose in February.

The former women’s professional soccer coach entered North Vancouver Provincial Courthouse just before 9:30 a.m. Wednesday with his lawyer, dressed in a grey suit.

He sat in court calmly as crown read out the offences against him.

Crown is asking for two years less a day behind bars, plus three-year probation.

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Crown is also asking Birarda to be listed on a sex-offender registry for life, submit a DNA sample as well have no communication with any of his victims.

More than a dozen women, who played for the Whitecaps and were part of Canada’s under-20 talent pool, have come forward with allegations.

Birarda was initially charged in December 2020 with six counts of sexual exploitation, two counts of sexual assault and one count of child luring for alleged offences that took place in North Vancouver, Burnaby and West Vancouver between January 1988 and March 2008.

Birarda was dismissed by both the Whitecaps and Canada Soccer in October 2008.

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With files from The Canadian Press