Former Mountie charged with 8 sex assaults against youths

Former Mountie Alan John Davidson, 58, has been arrested and charged with eight counts of indecent assault against youth that allegedly occurred in the 1970s and '80s while he was a minor hockey and baseball coach.

Police say all the alleged offences occurred before Davidson, who now lives in Calgary, was a Mountie.

Following his coaching days, RCMP say Davidson joined the force, serving as a regular member in a number of RCMP detachments in Saskatchewan and in Lloydminster, Alta., between February 1982 until he retired in August 1996.

Davidson was arrested Thursday in Calgary, following an investigation that began in November 2012 after a man contacted police in Burnaby, B.C., to file a report against his former minor hockey coach.

Alleged assaults all occurred in B.C.

The man, told police that while he was living in Clearwater, B.C., he had been sexually assaulted by the coach and that it was possible other players on the team had also been sexually assaulted.

RCMP said after the complaint was lodged, an investigation began involving all three provinces in which Davidson had lived and worked over the last 30 years.

Eight people eventually came forward with similar allegations, according to an RCMP news release.

All of the alleged assaults occurred in the Thompson-Okanagan region of British Columbia and the majority of the alleged victims belonged to either hockey or baseball teams that were coached by Davidson.

"I would like to commend those individuals who came forward after all these years, considering the traumatic nature of the allegations," Supt. Brendan Fitzpatrick, who is with the RCMP's major crimes unit, said in the news release.

"A great deal of work has been done to date, however our investigation is ongoing and we respect that there could be other individuals out there with information connected to our investigation. It is important for you to please contact the police."

Police want victims to come forward

To assist potential victims and witnesses in recalling memories, police released photos of Davidson as he appeared during the time frame the alleged assaults occurred.

They also released this list of where Davidson lived and worked over the last three decades:

• 1970s to 1981 Clearwater, B.C.
• August 1981 to February 1982 Regina, Sask.
• February 1982 to December 1983 Coronach, Sask.
• December 1983 to April 1986 Lloydminster, Alta.
• April 1986 to August 1993 Yorkton, Sask.
• August 1993 to 1996 North Battleford, Sask.
• August 1996 onwards Alberta.

RCMP are also asking other victims to come forward. Anyone with more information is asked to to call their tip line at 1-877-687-3377.