Saint Paul Coach Who Abused 15-Year-Old Sentenced to Prison

Jul 31

A former high school volleyball coach in Saint Paul was sentenced last week to more than seven years in prison for repeatedly sexually assaulting a student he coached.

Keng Cha, 31, was sentenced on July 29 after pleading guilty to two felony counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct involving penetration of a minor in a prohibited occupational relationship.

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A judge ordered Cha to serve 86 months in prison, followed by 10 years of conditional release. Cha received credit for five days already served. The plea agreement capped the potential sentence at 90 months.

Cha had been the B-squad volleyball coach at Como Park Senior High School during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. On September 28, 2023, police responded to the school after a 15-year-old student reported that Cha had been sexually assaulting her at various locations, including in the back parking lot of the school.

The student told police that Cha first began contacting her in late summer 2022 after getting her phone number from the volleyball roster. Their text exchanges escalated quickly, with Cha requesting nude videos and sexual favors. She told investigators the two had encounters occurring in the backseat of Cha’s vehicle in November 2022, January 2023, and most recently in September 2023 in the school parking lot.

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While officers were interviewing the student, Cha sent her messages asking why she had not been attending games and whether she had said anything about their relationship. Officers learned Cha was inside the school building with the athletic director, who had called him in to terminate his employment. Officers located and arrested Cha shortly after speaking with the student.

During a recorded interview, Cha waived his legal rights and admitted to engaging in a personal relationship with the student. He confirmed he had sex with her between two and four times in his car at various parks in Saint Paul. He admitted to the incidents, describing one incident in December 2022 at Battle Creek Park and another about a month before his arrest near her home.

Cha was initially charged with one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct. The most serious charge, which carried a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, was dismissed as part of the plea agreement. He pled guilty to the remaining two third-degree counts, each of which carried a maximum penalty of 25 years. Both charges specified that Cha engaged in sexual penetration with a minor under 18 while in a position of authority over her due to his coaching role.

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