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
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Body of Quebec man who died in Cuba found in Russia, family confirms
A Montreal-area family confirmed to CTV News that the body of their loved one who died while on vacation in Cuba is being repatriated to Canada after it was mistakenly sent to Russia.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Saskatchewan isn't remitting the carbon tax on home heating. Why isn't my province following suit?
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
RCMP officers had no legal authority to enter man's home, make arrest: B.C. court
A B.C. man has been found not guilty of assaulting two RCMP officers – with the court finding he was resisting an "unlawful entry and arrest" in his home before he was tasered, taken down and hauled away in handcuffs.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.