A teacher and coach with West Kootenay connections has been sentenced to eight years in prison for sexual abusing young boys.
Harry Charles Sadd, 74, was first arrested in Victoria in 2016 in connection with a series of alleged sexual assaults that were believed to have taken place in the 1960s and 70s.
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Sadd lived in Nakusp from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, prompting the RCMP to reach out to West Kootenay residents in search of more victims.
By August 2017, 12 victims had come forward and Sadd was facing 23 counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual assault.
“Based on the Victoria Police Department investigational findings, the Nakusp RCMP has reason to believe that there may be other individuals who currently or previously resided in Nakusp that may have been victimized by Sadd,” said RCMP Cpl. Dan Moskaluk at the time.
“It is possible that he may have targeted young males in the Nakusp area. We would like for any individuals who may have been victimized by Sadd or holds information regarding other victims, to contact us.”
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Sadd pleaded guilty to three counts of indecent assault and five counts of buggery related to seven victims. The incidents took place between 1970 and 1982 in Victoria, Saanich, Esquimalt and 100 Mile House.
During the sentencing hearing the court heard that the victims were between the ages of nine and 13 when the abuse began and in some cases lasted for years.
Sadd admitted that there were more than 200 instances of sexual abuse related to one of the victims.
Sadd also lived in Hinton, Alta., for a period of time where he worked as a teacher, before being expelled from the Alberta Teaching Association for allegedly committing sexual offences against three boys. The allegations were dealt with in a tribunal, but not in a court of law.
Additional charges against Sadd are still pending in the courts.
With files from Ragnar Haagen, Kendra Crighton, Nina Grossman
betsy.kline@castlegarnews.com
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