Former Canadian Vancouver Whitecaps coach Perarda returned to court on Wednesday before being sentenced in a sexual assault case.

A statement of agreed facts was submitted during the appearance, and victim impact statements were read in a North Vancouver courtroom.

Bob Perarda pleaded guilty in February to three charges related to sexual assault and one charge related to touching a young woman for a sexual purpose.

He remained silent as he entered the court, spending most of the morning with his hands cuffed. The statement of facts described how Perarda dealt with young soccer players under the pretext of giving them opportunities in the sport.

The victims described feeling "besieged" by the coach. Perarda was originally charged in December 2020 with offenses that occurred in Metro Vancouver between 1988 and 2008.

Since then, more than a dozen women who played with the Whitecaps and were part of the Canadian under-20 talent group have come forward saying he acted inappropriately with team members.

The charges include rubbing players' thighs, sending sexual text messages, making obscene comments, and bullying young women who ignored his behavior or spoke against it.

Perarda was dismissed by both the Whitecaps and Canada Soccer in 2008. He is likely to face a prison sentence because the charge of touching a young woman for a sexual purpose carries a sentence of not less than one year and up to 14 years.