Diving coach Trevor Palmatier handed conditional sentence for sexual exploitation

Former Olympic and national-leveldiving coach Trevor Palmatierwill servea conditional sentence after being found guilty on three sexual exploitation charges relating to incidents with a teenager.

The B.C. diving coach's sentence will beserved on two-year house arrest and includesthree yearsprobation.

The victim's name is under a publication ban. The offences took place atPalmatier'sSaanichresidencebetween Juneof 2003 and June of 2006.

Palmatierwas head coachofBoardworksDiving club atSaanichCommonwealth Place pool at the time of the incidents.

Hehad previously coached inVancouver. He left Victoriain 2007 and began coaching diving in Edmonton where he was arrested in 2013.

Palmatiercoached a number of Olympic and international level diversand was named Sport B.C. coach of the year in 2006.In 2013, he wasbanned from coaching diving in Canada.

The judge decided Palmatier's risk to re-offend was low if he was allowed to serve his sentence in the community.

He is ordered to stay away frompools, playgrounds and other places where young people are, and he must complete group therapy for sex offenders.

On Oct. 15, 2015, Palmatier, then 43,was found guilty on one count each ofsexual touching of a young person,invitation to touch the body of a sex-trade worker while in a position of trust, andpaying a minor for sexual services. The victim was between the ages of 15 and 18 when the offences occurred.

At the time of the guilty verdict Justice J.A. Power noted that Palmatier was in a position of authority, andthat lead up interactions to the offences including introducing sex talk and pornography into his relationship with the victimcould be considered "grooming activity".

At one point Palmatierhired a female sex worker to prove to the the victimthat he was not gay.Palmatier also gave the victim large sums of money, as much as$1,000 at one point, after some of the activities.

Palmatiercan seek permission to serve his sentence in Alberta.

With files from Megan Thomas