A former Yorkton minor hockey and baseball coach who was stationed as a member of the RCMP in the city from 1986 to 1993 has been arrested in British Columbia on charges of molesting children.
Alan Davidson, now 58, is accused of committing indecent assault on eight boys he coached in Clearwater, B.C. during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Supt. Brendan Fitzpatrick, operations officer for the B.C. RCMP major crime section, explained in a telephone press conference with Saskatchewan journalists that police started investigating Davidson after an alleged victim came forward to Burnaby RCMP in November 2012.
The investigation grew to include Alberta and Saskatchewan where Davidson served and coached during his 14-year law enforcement career. In addition to Yorkton, Davidson was posted in Coronach and North Battleford where investigators combed through minor hockey rosters, Fitzpatrick said, and attempted to interview former players. As yet no other potential victims have come forward outside of the Thompson-Okanagan region of B.C.
"A great deal of work has been done to date, however our investigation is ongoing and we respect that there could be other individuals out there with information connected to our investigation," Fitzpatrick said. "It is important for you to please contact the police. If something took place, we need to know about it and it will be investigated thoroughly and swiftly."
Roby Sharpe, coordinator of student activities at Yorkton Regional High School, was a player on a 1990-91 minor hockey team Davidson took to provincials. He couldn't believe it when he heard the news.
"I was shocked," he said. "If this is actually real, I'm going to be sick."
Sharpe remembers a very different man than the one emerging from police allegations, a family man with a wife and young daughter.
"The guy was an awesome coach," he said. "We loved him. He was such a great guy. I keep thinking, did I miss something?"
On Friday, the RCMP put out a national call for other possible complainants to come forward. A toll-free number, 877.687.3377, has been established.
Davidson left the Mounties in 1996 to "pursue a business opportunity" in Calgary according to Fitzpatrick. He was still coaching as recently as 2008.
His next court date is April 3 in Kamloops.
