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Former Sarnia Sting and NHL forward Reid Boucher pleaded guilty in Michigan court to sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl in 2011.
Reid Boucher, left, plays for the Sarnia Sting in an OHL preseason game against the Knights in London on Friday, August 31, 2012. (Postmedia Network File Photo) Article Content
The Sarnia Sting want to know why they weren’t made aware of the allegations against now convicted sex offender Reid Boucher before he signed with the team a decade ago.
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Boucher, who later played for three NHL teams, pleaded guilty in Michigan court to sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl in 2011. Boucher, now 28, was 17 at the time and playing for the United States National Hockey Team. Development Program, which is based in Plymouth, Michigan. He was hosted by the family of the victims.
The victim said Boucher twice forced her to perform sexual acts.
According to The Detroit Free Press, a relative of a friend of hers learned of her allegations and then took them to USA Hockey, which ultimately kicked Boucher out of her home. Boucher joined the Sting later that year and played two seasons at Sarnia from 2011 to 2013.
We were as surprised as everyone. Obviously no one knew, Sting chairman Bill Abercrombie said of Boucher’s crimes.
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Abercrombie was Stings’ vice president of operations during Bouchers’ two seasons with the team. Jacques Beaulieu was the head coach and general manager. The Stings have been in contact with the Butchers’ foster family in Sarnia, Abercrombie said.
He wants answers as to why USA Hockey hasn’t shared the allegations against Boucher with the Sting or the Ontario Hockey League. We will definitely investigate why everyone kept it a secret.
He added: I’m sure people have already traced back to when this happened and who was involved. Wait to hear their comment and understand why no one was informed. It’s a shocking revelation, that’s for sure.
Boucher was initially charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct, which carries a sentence of 25 years to life, but on December 13 he pleaded guilty in a Michigan court to third-degree criminal sexual conduct involving sexual penetration with an individual. between the ages of 13 and 16.
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As part of the plea deal, Circuit Judge Patrick Conlin will not sentence Boucher to any initial jail time. Bouchers’ sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 31.
According to The Detroit Free Press, the judge said the sentence reduction was appropriate given the unusual circumstances of the case and also noted Boucher’s age at the time of the reported assault and for how long.
Because the offense occurred when Boucher was a minor, under Michigan state law, if he successfully completes his sentence, the conviction will not appear on his public record.
The young woman, now 23, told the Detroit Free Press that she was disgusted by the sentence.
He never had to face any responsibility. And then while waiting. . . my whole life was kind of shattered into a million pieces, she said. I had to piece this together over the past 10 years.
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She said she didn’t even tell her parents what happened until she was 15 and got into drug and alcohol problems, self-harmed and had developed an eating disorder. She said the case of USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, who was convicted of abusing girls and women, prompted her to report her allegations to Ann Arbor police. , Michigan, last year.
At the time of the assaults, the woman said she had told friends about it. A friend told her parents about it, and a parent contacted USA Hockey, according to The Detroit Free Press.
In March 2011, we spoke to the parents of the two minors and no charges were laid, but Boucher was proactively kicked out of the safe house, USA Hockey spokesman Dave Fischer said in a statement. a statement to TSN, Rick Westhead. In March 2021, we were made aware of allegations of sexual misconduct by police and have fully cooperated with their investigation.
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A month after being removed from his home, Boucher won a gold medal playing for the United States at the 2011 Under-18 World Championship.
The New Jersey Devils selected him in the fourth round of the NHL Draft in June 2011. Then-Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello told The Athletic he was unaware of the decision. sexual assault of Boucher and that he would not have drafted him if he had known.
I think there are a lot of people trying to figure out why no one was told, Abercrombie said.
Boucher signed in July 2011 with the Sting, who selected him in the 2009 OHL Draft. He had interned at Michigan State University.
Boucher has 145 points in 135 games with the Sting. He scored a club record 62 goals in 2012-13.
Boucher played 133 games with the New Jersey Devils, Nashville Predators and Vancouver Canucks from 2013 to 2018. He played the last two seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League, currently for Yaroslavl Lokomotiv.
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