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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
BREAKING Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.