Ex-Venice High soccer coach who sexually battered a student is sentenced to prison again

A former Venice High School coach who was arrested for sexual assault of a student-athlete was re-sentenced in December to almost six years in prison followed by five years of probation after he violated a Sarasota judge's previous orders.

The Venice Police Department arrested Edward Delehanty in May 2022 on a charge of sexual battery by a custodian on a victim under 18 years old, according to previous Herald-Tribune reporting. While coach of the junior varsity soccer team during the winter 2021 season, he began a sexual relationship with a member of the team, VPD officials alleged in a Facebook post.

Delehanty would pick up the student from home for "one-on-one personal coaching," when he would instead engage in sexual intercourse with the victim in his truck and at home, according to previous reporting.

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At the time of initial reporting, then 31-year-old Delehanty was no longer employed as a soccer coach at Venice High School.

About six months after his arrest, Delehanty, 33, appeared in court for a plea bargain before Sarasota Circuit Court Judge Donna Padar, according to court documents. Delehanty received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days in jail, with credit for time served, and 48 months of probation as a designated sex offender.

The downward departure for the sentence included that Delehanty, who coached soccer during the 2020-2021 winter season, was not permitted to coach any youth sports, could not have any contact with the victim, must submit HIV test results within 30 days of release from custody and pay court costs.

Following the plea hearing, Delehanty submitted a motion to modify his probation. The document notes that as part of probation, Delehanty could not have unsupervised contact with minor children. However, Delehanty sought to have unsupervised contact with his three young children.

The practitioner said he felt Delehanty posed no threats to his children's wellbeing and recommended the father have unsupervised contact with them. Judge Padar granted the motion, allowing for telephonic, electronic, video and written contact.

In August, after being out of jail for about two and a half weeks, Delehanty was arrested for violation of probation, according to court documents.

The probable cause affidavit by an investigator alleged Delehanty accessed the internet and used social media, including Instagram and Snapchat, which violated his internet safety plan and the sex offender treatment program.

A transcript of the sentencing proceeding revealed that Delehanty's probation officer admitted to not having a conversation with Delehanty about what acceptable internet usage was, instead referring him to the therapist to go over the internet safety plan.

When asked about his recommendation for sentencing, Probation Officer Specialist Tomas Shinall suggested that Delehanty's supervision be modified to include that he be evaluated for sex addiction therapy and treatment, electronic monitoring for the duration of supervision, and no access to social media or dating, relationship or escort websites, or websites that allow for anonymity.

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During the sentencing, the victim's sister read a prepared statement to the judge asking for the maximum sentence for Delehanty. The witness stated her sister was traumatized from being groomed by a man who when he was released from jail, quickly violated parole and was back in jail, indicating "there was definitely no remorse."

The victim's mother noted in her statement how Delehanty was in a position of authority and how he should suffer "as much as my daughter suffers every day." She added that Delehanty had ruined lives, including her daughter's and his own children's lives who will have to deal with what their father did.

The judge also heard from the victim, who wished she could have realized what was happening sooner and spoke up for herself to stop what had been done to her. The victim said Delehanty had taken advantage of her vulnerable emotional state.

At least four letters from family and friends were submitted on behalf of Delehanty, with his family describing him as being hard-working, supportive of his family, and committed to his children and company.

Delehanty's sister described in her letter how her brother isn't perfect, but despite all he dealt with in his life focused on his children and family, working tirelessly to provide for them.

Delehanty also spoke during his sentencing, stating he acted out after finding out his wife had cheated on him with his best friend.

"I would like to take responsibility for my actions," he said. "And plead with you from mercy for the fact that I made a clouded judgment. And I understand what I did was wrong."

Delehanty said he made progress in the jail's reentry POD and that he wanted the chance to prove that he wasn't "this screw-up that the State is trying to make me out to be." Delehanty focused his statement on being there for his children and doing right by them, asking the judge to give him a second chance to prove himself not just to the court but to his children too.

It appeared that only towards the end of his sentencing did he address the victim and her family and the trauma he caused them.

Delehanty again entered an open plea to violating his probation and was sentenced to 70.5 months, or about five years 10 months, in prison with credit time served followed by five years of probation, according to court records.

"You took that child away from her family by being in a position where you had some access and authority to her," Judge Padar said. "You abused that position. And you did it repeatedly. She will never get that back, autonomy back. What you took will never be restored. And you can still hear it in her voice, and you can hear it in the voices of her mother and her sister."

Padar added that Delehanty let down the prosecution, his previous defense attorney, the court and everyone who gave him a second chance.

Delehanty filed an appeal claiming the trial court made errors in its proceedings. He also filed a document asking for several judicial acts to be reviewed, including improper sentencing considerations, wrongful procedure and determination of motion to downwardly depart, trial court errors relating to sentencing and due process violations and fundamental error in sentencing, among others. The appeal is still ongoing, court records indicate.

Gabriela Szymanowska covers the legal system for the Herald-Tribune in partnership with Report for America. You can support her work with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America. Contact Gabriela Szymanowska at gszymanowska@gannett.com, or on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Ex-Venice High soccer coach Edward Delehanty appeals prison sentence