Tim Petruk – Kamloops This Week

A plea bargain may be in the works for a former Mountie and youth sports coach accused of sexually assaulting eight boys more than 30 years ago.

Alan Davidson is charged with eight counts of indecent assault by a male on a male person, stemming from alleged interactions Davidson had with boys in the North Thompson as a sports coach in the 1970s and 1980s — before his RCMP career began in 1981.

The 59-year-old didn’t appear personally as lawyers met in Kamloops provincial court on Tuesday, March 10, to push back a preliminary inquiry that had been slated to get underway next month.

Defence lawyer John Gustafson said he needs more time for discussions with the Crown and indicated a preliminary inquiry may not be necessary.

Preliminary inquiries are hearings at which the Crown presents its case to a judge, who then decides whether there is enough evidence to proceed to trial.

Davidson was arrested in March 2014 in Calgary, where he had been working as an Alberta sheriff.

The 16-month investigation into Davidson’s actions came about after a Lower Mainland man went to police in 2012, claiming he had been sexually assaulted by his hockey coach in Clearwater in the early 1980s.

Seven additional complainants came forward during the course of the RCMP investigation.

Davidson is due back in court on April 2 for lawyers to fix a date. It’s expected they’ll know by then whether a preliminary inquiry will take place.