Teen victim of alleged sex crimes testifies against soccer coach

Teen victim of alleged sex crimes testifies against soccer coach


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FARMINGTON — The girl said her mother was going through a divorce and that being with Steven Dale Green and his family was "like home."

She said Green was like a father to her — he was already the stepfather of one of her friends.

The teenager said she thought Green was "really cool" and that led to text messages one night. The next day, he kissed her, she testified in 2nd District Court Wednesday.

"I think I was like, 'Oh my gosh, this is so exciting.' I was excited about it because I had a crush on him," she said.

Within two weeks, she said, they had sexual intercourse.

Green, 42, was ordered to stand trial Wednesday on 13 of the 14 charges against him following the testimony of the 17-year-old girl who alleges the two engaged in sexual relations during a period lasting more than two years.

The sexual activity was "pretty consistent — at least twice a week, sometimes it was more than that," she testified.

Green is facing three counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, seven counts of rape, two counts of forcible sodomy and one count of rape of a child. All are first-degree felonies that could carry sentences of up to life in prison. Judge Michael Allphin dismissed a single count of object rape.

The encounters

The teenager said she was 12 when she met Green, who was a coach for a soccer team she tried out for in 2007. He coached her a year, but she said she sought solace from her mother's divorce in Green and his family.

The charges:
  • Three counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child
  • Seven counts of rape
  • Two counts of forcible sodomy
  • One count of rape of a child
All are first-degree felonies that could carry sentences of up to life in prison. Judge Michael Allphin dismissed a single count of object rape.

"He kind of became more like my dad," she said. "For me, in my mind, he took on that role. He helped me with my math when I needed help and he helped me with soccer."

The girl said she was 13 when the sexual activity began in 2008. It continued until 2011, when she was 15. She said they carried out the relationship at locations around Bountiful but primarily at Green's home while his wife was at work.

The teenager said she would sometimes skip school to be with Green and that he often picked her up from school to engage in sex acts before picking up his own children. The meetings ended when she decided she wanted to pursue relationships with people her own age.

She said they had intercourse once more after that.

"That was the only option and I wasn't ready to lose another father figure," she testified.

Ending contact

It was Green, she said, who had helped teach her to value herself and to do her best and never settle. But his stance changed once she decided to end the contacts.

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She said Green never threatened her but said if he ever had to go to jail, he would take his own life.

"That's why I went so long without reporting it, because I wasn't scared for him, (but) I was scared for (his family)," she said.

The girl said she went to police after telling a grandparent and then her mother about the encounters with Green.

Green is scheduled to appear again in court on Aug. 20.

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