A previous hockey coach from Vancouver Island and a guard for the Victoria Police has been given a one-year prison sentence for “communicating with a minor to commit a sexual crime. “
Foster Martin was taken into custody and charged after accusations came out in 2020, following a month-long summer hockey camp in Port Alberni, BC. He was only 20 years old and coached at the West Coast Hockey Prep Camp when he started talking with a 15-year-old girl from the camp on Instagram. Martin tried to arrange for her to perform oral sex on him at the Alberni Valley Multiplex Arena.
While Martin was found guilty of luring the girl, Judge Ronald Lamperson said the prosecution did not provide enough evidence for three other charges: sexual assault, sexual touching, and extortion.
Martin’s lawyer asked for a sentence that would allow him to stay at home instead of going to jail, but the Judge denied this request.
Interestingly, Martin was working as a jail guard and a part-time officer with the Victoria Police Department and was also trying to join the RCMP when he was arrested. He has lost his job since 2021, and his chances of working in law enforcement again are slim.
“The fact that he has a criminal record for luring a minor will definitely prevent him from becoming a police officer and could affect his job opportunities in other areas,” said Lamperson.
“I believe that no type of conditional sentence would properly meet the important goals of punishment and prevention,” Lamperson explained in his ruling.
“Martin took advantage of his position of power and trust,” said Lamperson.
The person who was harmed, whose name is kept secret because of a legal restriction, said that she thought Martin had some power over her chances of playing hockey better. She wanted to make a good impression on him to help her hockey career move forward.
In her statement about how the situation affected her, she mentioned that she stopped playing hockey after the incident. She dealt with an eating problem for two years and hurt herself before finally telling her parents about what took place.
Along with spending a year in jail, Martin is required to sign up as a sex offender for 20 years. He is trying to challenge his punishment.
Leave a Reply