A man who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting another man in Hillcrest was sentenced Wednesday to eight years in state prison.

Michael William Howard, 41, must also register as a sex offender for the July 13 attack.

At the time of his arrest, the San Diego Police Department said its special events team on duty in Balboa Park during last year’s San Diego Pride Festival spotted Howard walking in the area and took him into custody.

Police said he “matched the description of a wanted violent sexual predator who had been targeting the LGBTQ+ community” and “was wanted in connection with multiple cases involving the sexual assault of men in the Hillcrest area.”

However, the crime Howard pleaded guilty to pertains to one victim, and court records do not indicate he is facing any other criminal cases in San Diego County.

San Diego’s experiment with women’s professional volleyball is ending after just three seasons.

The San Diego Mojo will play one final home match on Thursday night before heading to Dallas for the Major League Volleyball playoffs. The club announced Tuesday that it will not return for the 2027 season.

The club posted to Instagram that it was “heartbroken to announce” that Thursday marks the final home game in franchise history.

Owner Gary Jacobs said in a statement that he wanted the Mojo to take the 2027 season off while building a long-term plan for the franchise, but that “the league believes a different direction is required.” MLV remains committed to San Diego and will “lead the effort to identify potential new investors” in the club, the Mojo said.

The Mojo are offering free tickets to fans who want to attend Thursday’s match at Viejas Arena. Fans can claim up to eight per person by visiting the team’s social media profiles and clicking the attached link.

The timing is particularly cruel. The Mojo (14-12) have thrived under first-year coach Alisha Childress, winning 13 of their last 19 matches and qualifying for the MLV Championship, a four-team tournament that will determine the league champion. The Mojo will play either the Dallas Pulse or Indy Ignite in the May 7 semifinals, with the winner advancing to the championship match.

The Mojo debuted in 2024, with a high-profile owner — beach volleyball star Kerri Walsh-Jennings — and a roster that included a mix of native San Diegans and international stars. Walsh-Jennings sold the club to Jacobs following the inaugural season, and the PVF merged with Major League Volleyball in January.

The Mojo’s shuttering is another blow to professional sports in the heart of San Diego.

Major League Rugby’s San Diego Legion moved north following the 2025 season, rebranding as the California Legion. The San Diego Sockers of the Major Arena Soccer League and the San Diego Strike Force of the Indoor Football League both relocated from Pechanga Arena to Oceanside’s Frontwave Arena when the new, smaller venue opened in 2024.