Former Mountie arrested on sexual assault charges in Calgary

CALGARY- The RCMP have arrested a former member of their ranks who was also a minor hockey coach, and charged him in connection with several sexual assaults involving minors.

On Friday, the RCMP announced 58-year-old Alan John Davidson, who was  working as a sheriff, had been arrested a day earlier in Calgary where he resides.

Their investigation dates back to the 1970s and early 1980s, spanning three provinces, including Alberta.

Calgary investigators say they interviewed players and coaches who knew Davidson because he also coached in Alberta, but they didn’t turn up any evidence of wrongdoing in Calgary itself.

RCMP say their investigation is ongoing because they believe there may be more victims. So far, eight victims have been identified and Davidson has been charged with eight counts of indecent assault.

Davidson joined the Mounties in 1981, and was posted in a number of communities throughout Saskatchewan and Alberta before retiring in the late 1990s and settling in Calgary.

“He was active in the communities he served in and would have been exposed to a number of children and minors, teenage athletes… that kind of thing,” said Supt. Brendan Fitzpatrick of the B.C. RCMP’s major crimes section.

Currently, the RCMP is appealing for more potential victims and witnesses to come forward, but some child advocates say victims are often hesitant to come forward.

“I know for myself, I never thought people would believe me,” says former pro hockey player Sheldon Kennedy, a child advocate and victim of child sexual abuse. “When they talk about the scars that last a lifetime, that’s the reality.”

After being arrested and charged, Davidson was released. He must adhere to some strict conditions including having no contact with the alleged victims and cannot be in public places where there are children under the age of 16.

He is scheduled to appear in court in Kamloops on April 3.

-with files from Bindu Suri