Winnipeg police lay more charges against football coach after former student comes forward

Former Winnipeg football coach faces more charges Katherine Dow reports on the additional charges laid against a former Winnipeg high school football coach accused of assaulting students.

The Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) has laid additional charges against a high school football coach previously charged with sexual assault, noting nine survivors have now come forward.

In April, police announced they Kelsey Albert Dana McKay was charged with 14 offences, including multiple counts of sexual assault, sexual interference and child luring. The charges were laid after five students, who are now adults, came forward to police with the allegations.

The alleged assaults occurred between 2004 and 2011, while McKay was teaching and coaching at Churchill High School and Vincent Massey Collegiate.

A few weeks later, police said three more complainants came forward, resulting in eight additional charges against McKay.

On Monday, police issued another update, noting the sex crimes unit was contacted by another former student who reported being exploited and sexually assaulted as a teen by the same high school coach during the 2000s.

WPS said McKay now faces additional charges of sexual assault and luring a child under 18.

Police say he was re-arrested and released by way of Crown-authorized conditions.

None of the charges against McKay have been proven in court.

Const. Dani McKinnon said investigators hope there are not more victims, but noted it would not be surprising given the amount of time the alleged perpetrator coached.

“Nine survivors have come forward since April. The survivors have come on the heels of these press conferences, which is profound and very brave. This particular coach taught for two decades, or just shortly below or more,” she said.

NEW RESOURCES FOR PARENTS, STUDENTS TO PREVENT ABUSE IN SPORTS

Additionally, the WPS is creating new presentations for parents, athletes and athletic organizations to educate and prevent sexual abuse in sport.

Insp. George Labossiere with the WPS community support division said these types of resources are needed.

“Clearly we need only look at over the past 10, 15 years at what’s happened in our province, never mind what’s happened across the country, to know that one offence is too many, and so whatever steps we can take to take care of that is worthy time on our part,” Labossiere said.

Police noted some red flag behaviour to be on the lookout for are a coach having one-one-one electronic communication with an athlete; inviting an athlete to a coach’s home, although team gatherings in public are acceptable; a coach being alone in a vehicle with an athlete; a coach sharing a room overnight with an athlete; and frequent touch from a coach without asking permission, or insisting on personal massages that are beneficial.

McKinnon noted coaches take mandatory training and should already know these types of behaviours are inappropriate.

“If you do start to see those signs, you should definitely follow up on them, because the coaches know the rules and they want to protect themselves too,” McKinnon said.

Police said anyone wishing to book a presentation about sexual abuse in sport or other topics can visit a link on the WPS’ website.

- With files from CTV’s Charles Lefebvre