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HILDALE, Washington County — An assistant coach for a high school team in southern Utah has been arrested and accused of "making out" with one of his players.
Aaron Peter Lacorti, 37, was arrested on Tuesday for investigation of unlawful kissing of a minor.
"During the course of the investigation it was learned that Mr. Lacorti was employed by the Water Canyon High School in Hildale as an assistant coach and under a position of trust to the victim," a police booking affidavit states. "Since Mr. Lacorti's access to the school is revoked pending the investigation."
Authorities in Washington County began investigating after receiving a tip from the Arizona Department of Child Services which received their information from an anonymous caller.
The 16-year-old girl initially denied the information. But on Friday, her parents contacted the police saying that she had now admitted "to the romantic relationship with Lacorti. A forensic interview was conducted and the victim disclosed the inappropriate relationship and an incident where the victim described 'making out' with Lacorti," the affidavit alleges.
The teen also provided investigators with a letter from Lacorti stating that they needed to ''distance for a while," according to police.
On Tuesday, officers contacted Lacorti at the school and "he was served with an active injunction of harassment which listed the allegations." He denied the allegations. Investigators seized the cellphones of both the girl and Lacorti and were still reviewing the data on Wednesday.
"Mr. Lacorti indicated that there was stuff on the phone that we would find but nothing sexual," the affidavit says.
