A former soccer coach was sentenced to six years in prison for sexually assaulting children at the Longueuil courthouse Friday.

Thierry Massimo, a former elite soccer coach, pleaded guilty in March to 26 sexual assault charges related to luring children on the Internet and having them engage in various sexual acts.

The assaults took place between 2001 and 2009, mainly in Massimo's car or in hotel rooms before and after games. All 13 of his victims were male soccer players between the ages of 12 and 16.

The sentence is very close to the seven years originally sought by the Crown, while Massimo's attorneys argued for a sentence of two years.

With time served, Massimo has three years and nine months left on his sentence.

Massimo's sentencing was delayed two weeks because the charges referred to the victims as "adolescents," but that was not legally true in this case. The Criminal Code defines an adolescent as being more than 16 years old and less than 18 years old.

The charges had to be amended before Massimo could be sentenced.