A Baltimore County volunteer softball coach pleaded guilty Monday to sexually abusing a 17-year-old player who was also the daughter of one of his employees. Michael J. Pusateri, 60, of Nottingham, entered the plea as part of an agreement under which prosecutors are seeking a 10-year prison term, followed by five years of supervised probation and lifetime registration as a sex offender.

Pusateri was initially indicted in September last year on 37 charges, nearly half of which were felonies. He faced additional federal charges in January related to the same case. Under the terms of the plea deal, Pusateri pleaded guilty to one count of sexual abuse of a minor, leading to the dismissal of the remaining 36 charges. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Thursday at the Baltimore County Circuit Court. He faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison.

Although Maryland’s age of consent is 16, Pusateri was charged with abusing a minor due to his role as the victim’s coach, which placed him in a position of authority and responsibility over her. According to charging documents, the victim told investigators she met alone with Pusateri twice last year. On the first occasion, no inappropriate activity occurred. However, during a second meeting on July 25 at Eastern Regional Park, investigators say sexual contact took place.

Authorities also obtained Pusateri’s cellphone, discovering numerous inappropriate messages and photographs exchanged between him and the minor. The victim expressed uncertainty about how to handle the situation, especially since her family had a longstanding relationship with Pusateri—first as friends and later as her parents’ employer. A detective noted that although Pusateri never explicitly threatened the girl, he reminded her of his authority as both her coach and her parents' boss, contributing to her sense of intimidation.

Pusateri has a history of coaching softball across various Baltimore County venues, including Kenwood High School and several recreational leagues in Middle River, Parkville, and the Overlea-Fullerton areas. Following the allegations, the high school and league administrators confirmed that Pusateri had been banned or removed from his coaching roles.

Federal authorities also indicted him on charges involving exploitation, coercion, and child pornography related to the same victim. An arraignment hearing for the federal case is scheduled for next Tuesday. Pusateri’s defense attorney, Peter Crawford, did not respond to requests for comment.