Sequim Gazette staff

Former volunteer assistant coach with the Sequim High School girls varsity basketball team, Jerry Jeff Pedersen, 29, was sentenced to 30 days incarceration, followed by 30 days of electronic monitoring on Thursday, Oct. 23, for communication with a minor for immoral purposes.

Sequim Police investigated and stated in court documents that Pedersen and a then-15-year-old-girl on the basketball team allegedly were in a relationship, and from police-obtained text messages shared March 1-23, Pedersen could have faced five felony counts.

However, just prior to

Pedersen’s sentence, Judge Erik Rohrer approved an amendment to Pedersen’s original plea, allowing Pedersen to withdraw his previous guilty plea and enter into a new agreement.

Pedersen had pleaded guilty to the five felony charges on Aug. 21, but court documents state that Pedersen’s attorney John Black objected to the pre-sentence investigation on Oct. 9 in Clallam County Superior Court. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Alex Schodowski said that since Pedersen has no previous offenses, the state proposed Pedersen plead guilty to the one charge and the court would dismiss the other charges.

Since November 2012, the volunteer coach allegedly exchanged explicit texts and pictures with the girl, who told police she and Pedersen would text several times a day from waking up to going to bed.

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Michele Devlin, standing in for Schodowski on Oct. 23, said the state’s recommendation to the court would be 60 days of electronic monitoring with the standard financial consequences and that Pedersen be required to register as a sex offender. Black agreed and “would ask the court to follow these recommendations,” noting he didn’t see how incarceration would have any “benefit” at this point and that 60 days house arrest is “appropriate.”

“This is a difficult case,” Rohrer said. “The attorneys have expressed it has complexities and the court feels the same way, but I think there needs to be some incarceration – if nothing else to send a message that this is serious and unacceptable.”

Rohrer thus revised the state’s recommendation and sentenced Pedersen to 30 days incarceration and 30 days electronic monitoring.

“I realize on all other fronts you are a good citizen but in this case you have done something the court finds unacceptable,” Rohrer said. “I don’t feel it’s right that you don’t have any incarceration here.”

Pedersen was scheduled to be admitted into custody Friday, Oct. 24, after Black requested the court allow Pedersen a “couple of days” before being incarcerated.

The father of the victim spoke during Thursday’s sentencing, giving insight into the impacts the past few months have had on his daughter.

“To me sentencing is simple,” the father said. “Mr. Pedersen committed a felony. This is not about a 29-year-old predator, but it’s about how a 15-year-old’s life has been robbed.”

He explained that both he and his wife feel guilty because they “couldn’t keep their daughter safe,” and that Pedersen was in a “position of trust” and “Mr. Pedersen took advantage of the situation” and abused the position.

Pedersen told the court that he apologizes to both families.

“I messed up and I am sorry,” he said.

After Pedersen is released from the Clallam County Corrections Facility, he will be electronically monitored for an additional 30 days. Pedersen is required to pay $890 in fines and was given the option to participate in the pay or appear program, but Black said Pedersen came prepared to write a check.