A former assistant coach for the Boston University men’s hockey team has been indicted on sexual assault charges, according to WCVB.
Robert Richardson, 61, of Dorchester, was charged with three counts of raping a child. According to Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley, WCVB reported, the counts began in 1991 when the alleged victim was 13 years old.
Richardson, who coached at BU from 1985-89, secured a spot on an elite youth hockey team for the victim, according to WCVB. Meanwhile, Richardson invited the victim to his home, where the alleged abuse took place.
According to prosecutors, the victim informed his family about the alleged abuse while still a teenager, but didn’t press charges until 2014. The former BU and Northeastern University coach will be arraigned Thursday in Suffolk County Superior Court.
This is not the first time Richardson has been at the center of a child abuse case. He was arrested in 2003 on five counts of rape of a child and two counts of indecent assault and battery on a person age 14 or over, according to USCHO News.
Those alleged incidents occurred between 1998-99, but Richardson was ultimately not deemed guilty. A Suffolk County Superior Court jury acquitted Richardson of all charges in 2005.
Jonathan's a New Englander who writes about sports, features and politics. He currently covers men's hockey at BU, worked as Sports Editor during the spring 2016 semester and is on the FreeP's Board of Directors. Toss him a follow on Twitter at @jonathansigal.
