Former Como High School volleyball coach sentenced to over 7 years assaulting 15-year-old student

A former volleyball coach at Como High School was sentenced to over seven years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of criminal sexual conduct.

Keng Cha, 31, pleaded guilty to two charges of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, having a prohibited occupational relationship with someone under the age of 18.

Cha was sentenced to 48 months (two years) and 86 months (over seven years) for the charges. He will receive five days’ credit for the charges, which will run concurrently with one another.

As previously reported, Cha was arrested in September 2023 after St. Paul Police officers responded to a report of criminal sexual conduct at Como Park High School.

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There, a 15-year-old student told officers her volleyball coach, identified as Cha, had engaged her in sex on multiple occasions from Oct. 2022 through Sept. 2023.

The victim told police that Cha had gotten her phone number from the volleyball roster and began texting her in the summer/early fall of 2022. After about a month of texting, Cha began asking the girl for sexual favors and nude photos, court documents say.

Cha then assaulted the teen.

As officers were speaking with the victim, Cha began texting her, “Why haven’t you been coming to games?” and “Did you say anything to anyone about us?”

The officers then learned that Cha was in a meeting with the school’s athletic director, who was firing him from his position as a volleyball coach at the same time they were interviewing the victim.

Cha was arrested shortly after.