School ski coach charged with violating probation

A former high school ski coach who admitted in 2006 to having sex with a teenage girl now faces prison for violating his probation.

Stephen Axelson of New Paltz has pleaded guilty to criminal trespass. Authorities say the 59-year-old admitted breaking into the home of a female acquaintance in February.

Axelson spent six months in jail and was placed on probation in 2006 after he pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree rape. The charges stemmed from what he acknowledged had been an ongoing sexual relationship with a 16-year-old in 2002. The girl was a member of the Nordic ski team Axelson coached.

The new crime violated the terms of his probation. Under a plea agreement, he'll be sentenced in September to one to three years in state prison.
   
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