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WILKES-BARRE — A former high school volleyball coach who admitted to sending sexually explicit texts to girls on his team was sentenced to prison Tuesday.

Nicholas Diaco, 27, of Luzerne, was sentenced by Luzerne County Judge David W. Lupas to three to 23 months in the county lockup, followed by 18 months on probation.

Diaco had been charged with two counts each of corruption of minors and unlawful conduct with a minor. He pleaded guilty to those charges in November.

Diaco was the head girls volleyball coach at Wyoming Area for more than three years and the boys head volleyball coach at Dallas High School for more than four years.

In September 2016, Diaco was arrested for sending “lengthy sexually explicit text messages” to female students he coached on the Wyoming Area volleyball team, court papers say.

In court Tuesday, the mother of one of Diaco’s victims spoke out, condemning his actions.

“She was 15 and he was an adult,” the mother said. “He should’ve known better.”

The mother said she was sickened by the messages from Diaco to her daughter, including telling her that he wanted to “be her first.”

“There’s no way my daughter should’ve been spoken to in this way,” the mother said.

She also described the long-lasting toll Diaco’s actions had taken on her family, saying she initially learned about his improprieties after her daughter attempted to harm herself with pills.

Diaco, though, said his actions weren’t a reflection of who he really is.

“I never, never, never would have followed through,” Diaco said, contradicting Assistant District Attorney Angela Sperrazza’s claim that Diaco’s behavior was a “specifically orchestrated act.”

Diaco’s attorney, William Peters, asked for a lenient sentence, saying Diaco had taken full responsibility for what he had done and had “punished himself.” He also said Diaco has been trying to better himself, adding that he was set to start graduate school Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the father of one of the girls seemed to grow frustrated by the dialogue and cut in.

“We can go back and forth all day. My daughter is a good kid, and Nick might be a nice guy,” he said. “But he’s a pedophile, if you ask me.”

When it came time to deliver his sentence, Lupas acknowledged the remorse Diaco had displayed, but added that didn’t diminish the serious nature of his crimes.

“You had everything going for you, but you threw it all away,” Lupas said, referring to Diaco’s loss of a job and the cancellation of his wedding after the charges.

Lupas said given the way Diaco used his position of trust to take advantage of minors, a period of incarceration was warranted.

Lupas sentenced Diaco to three to 23 months on each of the charges. The sentences will run concurrently as part of a plea deal Diaco made with prosecutors, cutting the time he must spend behind bars.

Diaco will also be required to register as a sex offender for the next 15 years.

He was transferred to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility to begin his sentence. He said nothing to reporters on his way out of the courthouse.

Nicholas Diaco said nothing to reporters on his way out of the Luzerne County Courthouse on Tuesday. He was sentenced to three to 23 months in prison followed by 18 months on probation after he pleaded guilty to four charges related to sending sexually explicit texts to two underage Wyoming Area students who played for the volleyball team he coached.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/web1_diaco-1.jpg.optimal.jpgNicholas Diaco said nothing to reporters on his way out of the Luzerne County Courthouse on Tuesday. He was sentenced to three to 23 months in prison followed by 18 months on probation after he pleaded guilty to four charges related to sending sexually explicit texts to two underage Wyoming Area students who played for the volleyball team he coached.

By Patrick Kernan

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Reach Patrick Kernan at 570-991-6386 or on Twitter @PatKernan