Ice skating coach gets 98 years for abusing kids

DOWNEY – A 31-year-old man convicted of sexually abusing two children over several years at his homes in Downey and Hacienda Heights was sentenced last week to 98 years to life in prison. Donald James Vincent was convicted by a jury on Jan. 28 of one count of continous sexual abuse, two counts of a lewd act upon a child, two counts of forcible lewd acts upon a child, three counts of oral copulation and sexual penetration with a child under 10, and two counts of sex and sodomy with a child under 10.

Deputy District Attorney Babette Huley, who prosecuted the case, said at the time of the crimes, Vincent was an ice skating coach, working as an independent contractor at various ice skating rinks in Southern California.

Between 2007 and 2011, Vincent sexually molested two students, a boy and a girl, at his homes in Downey and Hacienda Heights, prosecutors said.

The charges were related to students he coached at Paramount Iceland in in Paramount, though he also worked at at least six other ice skating rinks throughout Los Angeles, Riverside and Orange counties in the seven years leading up to his arrest, according to District Attorney’s and Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials.

They included the East/West Ice Palace in Artesia; Glacial Gardens in Lakewood; Norwalk Ice, which has since closed; Skating Edge Ice Arena in Harbor City; Anaheim Ice in Anaheim; and Ice Town Riverside in Riverside.

He was arrested Jan. 11, 2013 and soon after was charged. His bail was set at $6 million, and he remained in custody since his apprehension.

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Published: Nov. 13, 2014 - Volume 13 - Issue 31