Former youth coach gets probation

Erica Johnson

Monday, Dec. 23, 2002 | 9:43 a.m.

A former youth football coach accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting two boys was given a suspended sentence and placed on probation Friday.

District Court Judge Michael Cherry sentenced 28-year-old Stephen Micciche to one to two years in the Clark County Detention Center, but Cherry also suspended the sentence and placed Micciche on five years of probation.

Micciche pleaded guilty to child abuse and neglect on Oct. 24 using what is known as an Alfred plea, which means he maintains his innocence but acknowledges there is enough evidence for a jury to convict him if the case were to go to trial.

He was released from the Clark County Detention Center on his own recognizance after entering his plea.

In exchange for Micciche's guilty plea, prosecutors dropped six other felony charges including first-degree kidnapping, lewdness with a minor under 14 years old, and sexual assault of a child under 14 years old, said Deputy District Attorney Craig Hendricks.

According to the terms of his probation, Micciche must also pay $608 in restitution and stay away from alcohol.

"Your last drink was your last drink," Cherry said. "I hope it was tasty because you're not going to taste anything else for the next five years."

Police say Micciche took two boys, ages 10 and 14, to a concert and did not return with them. Their parents reported them missing the next morning.

The child abuse charge came because Micciche exposed one boy to marijuana and pornography, Hendricks said. He was charged with only one count because the second boy would not come forward, Hendricks said.