Former B.C. youth hockey coach pleads guilty to child luring and child pornography charges

A former B.C. youth hockey coach who wasemployed at the Burnaby Winter Clubhas been sentenced to three years and six months in jail after pleading guilty to child luring and child pornography charges.

The coach, who can't be named due to a court-ordered publication ban, was chargedby the Port Moody Police DepartmentinSeptember 2019.

He pleaded guilty to importing and distributing child pornography, as well astelecommunication to lure a child under 18and extortion, on Sept. 2.

Const. Sam Zacharias with the Port Moody Police Department said numerous investigators worked on the case over a number of years.

"The complex investigation spanned multiple provinces and states, and determined that well over 200 youths had been unknowingly exploited," Zachariassaid in a statement.

In 2019, a club representative had told CBC Newsthe man had worked as a head coach for a youth team on a one-year contract from August 2018 to March 2019. He also worked as an assistant coach at the Burnaby Winter Club in 2013.

The representative had said "no red flags were ever raised" during the man's time at the club, and a criminal background check had been conducted before he was hired.