Swim Coach Accused of Underage Sex Resurfaces With New Swim Company

The private swim coach who was charged with having sex with a 15-year-old student now has ties to a new swim school—one founded after his arrest and the subsequent closure of his original company, Swim Venture, government business records reveal.

Todd Sousa— stemming from his alleged sexual relationship with the girl—is a manager of SLS Partners, which owns Atlantis Aquatics Swim School, according to paperwork filed with Orange County clerk-recorder and secretary of state’s office.

Sousa bailed out of jail shortly after his arrest Feb. 24 in San Juan Capistrano, later . A judge has barred him from being in the presence of any girls between the ages of 14 and 18 unless they are immediate family. If convicted on all counts, he would face a maximum sentence of 13 years in state prison.

 "It is a very sad time for the swimming community," said Joy Rossello, CEO of Aloha Swimming in Dana Point. Her company considered a partnership with Swim Venture before news of Sousa's arrest. "They put our pool on their website to see if there was interest. Nothing came of it. In light of the recent events, we called to be taken off their website."

Sousa owned Swim Venture with his wife, Jill, who filed a petition for separation March 4. Photos of him on the Swim Venture website and any references to his name were stripped from the site not long after his arrest. That website now redirects visitors to swimatlantis.com.

In mid-March, an applicant identified as Shawn Sousa sought to register Atlantis Aquatics as a business in the county of Orange. Shawn Sousa once identified himself as co-owner of Swim Venture on his LinkedIn profile and is still listed as a "developer" on a Swim Venture Facebook page. The filing indicates that SLS Partners is the owner of Atlantis Aquatics.

Secretary of State records current as of Tuesday morning listed Shawn and Todd Sousa both as general partners and managers of SLS Partners, a spokeswoman said.

Shawn Sousa's relationship to Todd Sousa is not currently known. Attempts to interview Shawn Sousa or anyone else affiliated with Atlantis Aquatics have been unsuccessful.

Swim Venture’s business phone number is now that of Atlantis, as are its offices in Laguna Hills. Atlantis Aquatics also holds two contracts with indoor facilities once managed by Swim Venture. Other contracts once held by Swim Venture have been canceled in the wake of Todd Sousa's arrest.

On March 2, the Saddleback Valley Unified School District notified Sousa that it would terminate its contract April 1 and asked him to remove the district's name from the company's website and any other advertising materials. "The district has decided to move in a different direction to address our aquatic needs," Cameron Harding, recreation division manager, wrote in a letter to Sousa.

According to the contract, Swim Venture had provided swim lessons and aquatic programs for youth since before 2008. The classes were held at various district pools, including those of Mission Viejo and Trabuco Hills high schools and Esperanza Elementary School.

Todd Beebe, president of the Ladera Ranch Maintenance Corp., said the homeowners association in Ladera Ranch had also ended its contract with Swim Venture because of the charges against Sousa.

The association had been contacted by Atlantis Aquatics and is in the process of negotiating a new contract, he said, but was unaware there was any connection to Todd Sousa.