Sordid saga of disgraced soccer coach ends with plea deal

A year behind bars and a lifetime as a registered sex offender await Gregory Vance Tatton after a plea bargain struck just days before his trial in criminal court.

The last-minute deal, in which Tatton plead no contest to nine counts of unlawful sex with a minor, was reached July 3.

Tatton originally faced 26 counts and a possible 18 years in prison. Prosecutors had previously offered him a plea deal of four-and-a-half years in prison, which he rejected.

Under the terms of the new deal, Tatton will serve one year and be required to register with the state as a sex offender.

Tatton coached a Sonoma Valley Soccer Association team for five years. A charismatic figure, he came under suspicion of parents and league officials in the fall of 2007. Concerns included improper interactions with young players, and how Tatton handled rooming arrangements on the team’s out-of-town trips, according to a California Youth Soccer Association chronology.

The team, which was then disbanded, included Tatton’s daughter and the daughters of the assistant coach and team manager.

The parents of the abused girl, and another source close to her, contacted police in December 2007, presenting information that resulted in an emergency protective order and a three-year restraining order. Tatton was subsequently fired and banned for life by the league.

In January 2008, he was released by Tamalpais High School in Marin County where he had been a part time coach and peer educator. He disappeared shortly thereafter.

A March 2009 warrant for Tatton’s arrest was based on evidence found on a computer, police said at the time. He was traced to West Hollywood where, after a stakeout by Sonoma sheriff’s investigators, he was arrested without incident last April.

None of the alleged crimes include the use of force; minors, however, cannot legally consent to sexual activity with adults.