A former Metro Vancouver youth hockey coach has been sentenced to 3.5 years in prison on child pornography, extortion and child luring charges.
The former coach, who can’t be identified due to a publication ban, pleaded guilty to charges of possession and importation of child pornography, telecommunication to lure a child under 18 and extortion, according to Port Moody police.
Police said the investigation began in 2019, and involved a coach at the Burnaby Winter Club.
Investigators with the Port Moody Police Department’s Major Crime Section identified a number of victims, many of whom had direct contact with the coach, police said.
“Numerous investigators worked tirelessly on this matter,” Const. Sam Zacharias said in a media release. “The complex investigation spanned multiple provinces and states, and determined that well over 200 youth had been unknowingly exploited.”
The sentence was handed down on Sept. 2.