LONDON TENNIS COACH JAILED FOR GROOMING AND ASSAULTING TEEN GIRL

The article reports that Marc Lewis, a tennis coach from Edgware, North London, was convicted of aiding and abetting two of his friends to have sex with another 15-year-old pupil. He had previously admitted to having sex with an under-age girl in early 2003 and was convicted of a third similar charge. Lewis was sentenced to four and a half years in prison, although his victims' parents criticized the leniency of this sentence, arguing that Lewis should have received a life sentence for his actions. The parents described Lewis as manipulative and charming, who groomed girls and their families to gain their trust before abusing them. The court heard detailed accounts of how Lewis lured a 15-year-old girl, then a pupil, to his home, where he plied her with alcohol and assaulted her. The girl provided testimony about his assault, stating: "He pulled my clothes off. He pushed me on the ground. It was hurting. He did things to me and made me do things to him." The judge emphasized the depraved and perverted nature of his conduct, noting that Lewis intended to seduce and exploit underage girls in his charge. The parents of the girl expressed their heartbreak over the traumatic experience and blamed the Lawn Tennis Association for failing to act earlier to prevent Lewis from coaching other girls. The article also mentions that Lewis's actions prompted the court to impose serious legal consequences, including a recommendation that he be convicted of rape, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.