Ottawa Police say a “well-known” local soccer coach is facing charges following an investigation into allegations of sexual assault.
Police say their investigation began in April of 2019, when a 17-year-old girl alleged she had been sexually assaulted by her soccer coach on two separate occasions in 2014.
Jimmy Zito, 38, has been charged with two counts of sexual assault and one count of sexual exploitation.
Zito was scheduled to appear in court Friday.
In a news release, police said Zito coached “numerous teams in the Ottawa community” but, when contacted by phone, could not say which organization he worked for at the time of the alleged offense.
Police say they believe there could be other victims. Anyone with information is asked to call the Ottawa Police Major Case Management Tip Line at 613-236-1222, ext. 5760. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers toll-free at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or by downloading the Ottawa Police app.
