Lethbridge gymnastics coach facing more sexual assault charges
A Lethbridge gymnastics coach accused of sexually assaulting a seven-year-old girl he coached is now facing additional charges.
Jamie Ellacott, 33, was arrested on July 12 and charged with sexual assault and sexual interference.
Lethbridge police say further investigation has identified three more young girls from the same facility, the Lethbridge Gymnastics Academy, who reported being sexually assaulted during sessions in May 2022.
Police say the victims were 10, 12 and 14-years-old.
Officers arrested Ellacott again on Wednesday.
He is now facing three more counts of sexual assault and three more counts of sexual interference.
Mallory Kristjanson is the mother of a student who was enrolled at the camp before the original charges. She pulled her child out of the camp before they attended but is fighting to get a refund.
“Heart broken," she said. "That there's three more children impacted by this man's actions. One was too many.”
“They've actually refused any of my phone calls, they haven't returned any of my phone calls," she added. "Parents who wrote very thorough emails challenging their refund policy have not also had any response back whatsoever."
SUPPORT CHILDREN
“You want to be supportive of anyone who's involved in these cases," said Kristine Cass, the CEO of the Chinook Sexual assault centre. "Again we need to support children when they're coming forward, anyone when they're coming forward that is talking about harms that have been done to them. We have to take them seriously.”
“(There needs to be) two people there when you're in a dressing room especially. We have to touch people when we're doing athletics to show where things like the foot needs to be placed and things like this," she said. "But how you introduce the touch and how you do certain things is quite prescriptive.”
Ellacott was released from custody but must follow several conditions, including not having contact with any of the victims or witnesses.
He is scheduled to appear in court on the new charges on Aug. 31.
Investigators are asking anyone with information on the investigation to call police at 403-328-4444 and reference file 22014303.
With files from Quinn Keenan
Jamie Ellacott, a former gymnastics coach with the Lethbridge Gymnastics Academy, was arrested on July 12 and charged with sexual offences involving a seven-year-old girl. (File)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
B.C. theatre to pay $55K to neurodivergent actor in discrimination case
British Columbia's human rights tribunal has awarded a neurodigergent actor, who was diagnosed with sensory and learning disorders, more than $55,000 after finding that a Kelowna theatre company discriminated against him because of his disabilities.
Who's responsible for regulating cannabis stores operating under the sovereignty banner?
It's not quite clear who is supposed to be regulating so-called sovereign cannabis stores or even ensure they're benefiting Indigenous communities.