Bucks ex-coach sentenced for youth rape

A former youth football coach in Levittown has been sentenced to 18 to 40 years in prison for raping a girl when she was between the ages of 11 and 13.

Under terms of the sentence imposed Monday by Bucks County Judge Wallace H. Bateman Jr., Keith Peschen, 38, would be on probation for 10 years following his release from prison. Experts deemed him a sexually violent predator, which means the community in which he lives after he leaves prison will be notified of his presence, according to the district attorney's office.

Peschen met the girl through her parents, officials said. She also was a cheerleader for the youth football team he coached. He pleaded guilty in Februrary to several charges, including rape. He had remained in jail in lieu of $1 million bail since he was charged in November.

- Ben Finley