Former B.C. hockey coach pleads guilty to child pornography charges
A former youth hockey coach who worked in B.C.'s Lower Mainland has pleaded guilty to several sexual offences, including child pornography charges.
The plea was announced Friday by the Port Moody Police Department, which began investigating allegations against the former coach from the Burnaby Winter Club in September 2019.
"Numerous investigators worked tirelessly on this matter," Const. Sam Zacharias said in a statement. "The complex investigation spanned multiple provinces and states, and determined that well over 200 youth had been unknowingly exploited."
The coach can't be identified due to a court-imposed publication ban.
Police said he pleaded guilty to importation and distribution of child pornography, possession of child pornography, telecommunication to lure a child under 18, and extortion, resulting in a 3.5-year prison sentence.
After the investigation was announced three years ago, the Burnaby Winter Club stressed that it has strict hiring procedures for coaches, which include criminal background checks and reference checks.
The coach was banned from club premises once the allegations came to light, officials said.
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