B.C. minor hockey, baseball coach faces child porn, voyeurism charges

COQUITLAM, B.C. – A man who has spent three decades coaching youth baseball and hockey across B.C.’s Lower Mainland is facing multiple child pornography charges, police announced Wednesday.

Coquitlam RCMP said 59-year-old Randy Downes was arrested and charged with possessing child pornography, and four counts each of voyeurism and making child pornography.

There is no evidence to suggest Downes had sexual contact with children or that the photos were distributed, said Const. Jamie Phillipson.

Police say the photographs seized from the man’s home in April were taken in a public place, but the children pictured did not know the photos were being taken.

Phillipson declined to say how many photos were found, where they were taken or whether they featured boys, girls or both.

In addition to coaching, Downes worked as a professional photographer, taking pictures of youth sporting events, he said.

The detachment’s sex crimes team began looking into the allegations in March after receiving information from the B.C. Integrated Child Exploitation Unit.

Police monitored Downes while the investigation was underway.

“The evidence that was collected by the police indicated that there was no threat to the public,” Phillipson said.

Police are now asking potential witnesses to come forward with any information that may be relevant.

“Thirty years is a long time and so we want to make sure that if there were any incidents over these past three decades, that people have the ability to come forward to police now,” Phillipson said.