Stuckless apologizes in court for manipulating, abusing sex assault victims

Gordon Stuckless, the man at the centre of a sex abuse scandal involving children at Maple Leaf Gardens, apologized to his victims today in court, telling them that he is “ashamed” of manipulating their trust.

Stuckless spoke during a sentencing hearing where the Crown attorney in the case is pushing a judge to sentence him to 12 years in prison for his crimes.

His lawyer, Ari Goldkind is expected to finish his submissions Thursday. He has not yet said how many years he thinks Stuckless should serve.

In 2014, the man was found guilty of 102 charges related to the sexual abuse of 18 boys that happened decades ago.

Stuckless admitted today that he used his victims’ trust to abuse them.

“To all of you I have abused in the past, I am ashamed and I am sorry for what I’ve done to you,” he said. “I took away your childhood by my abusing you. I befriended you, I also befriended some of your parents.

“I used manipulation and rewards to gain your trust. I used that trust to abuse you,” he said.

“You did nothing wrong. Your parents did nothing wrong. If I could go back in time to change the abuse I did, I would but I can't so all I can say to all of you I've abused in the past is that nothing you did was your fault,” he continued. “It was my fault. I befriended you, rewarded you, manipulated you. I take full responsibility for my actions in the past..”

Stuckless finished reading his statement by telling his victims he is “working hard to ensure that nothing I did in the past ever happens again. I am truly sorry.”

The man has undergone chemical castration, something his lawyer says has kept him from reoffending for the last decade.

But Crown Attorney Kelly Beale called Stuckless’ history of sexual abuse “extremely aggravating, calling him a “prolific serial pedophile.”

The judge in the case, Justice Mara Greene, will also consider the Crown’s other requests -- placing Stuckless on the sex offender registry for life, forcing him to submit a sample of his DNA and prohibit him from contacting his victims while imprisoned.

This isn’t the first time Stuckless has been in court for sex abuse charges.

Stuckless, who worked as a teacher’s assistant, a hockey and lacrosse coach and an usher at Maple Leaf Gardens, was in court in 1997 for sexually assaulting 24 boys between 1969 and 1988.

He pleaded guilty in that case and was sentenced to two years. He was paroled in 2001.

The case will be back in court Thursday at 10 a.m. at Old City Hall.