MARBLEHEAD, Mass. (WHDH) — Seven new accusers have come forward against a hockey coach charged with child rape.
Christopher Prew, 31, appeared in Lynn District Court Wednesday for a dangerousness hearing after he was arrested last week on several charges in connection with the rape of a young boy.
Police said Prew indecently assaulted and orally raped a 9-year-old boy five times between Sept. 1, 2017 and Jan. 31, 2018. Police said the boy’s mother notified them, prompting an investigation.
In court, prosecutors said eight boys in total have now come forward alleging Prew sexually assaulted them. Many of them still need to be formally interviewed.
Police said the accusers are all boys between the ages of 6 and 11 and two of them are brothers. One of the boys is reportedly from Canada and was in Massachusetts as part of a hockey exchange program. Prosecutors said one of the boys was sexually assaulted by Prew at a hotel during an out-of-town hockey tournament.
“He was excited to tell me about hockey,” a police officer said in court about the boy that she interviewed. “When he started speaking about Chris Prew, he kind of kept to himself in the seat. He kind of talked with his hands. He had his head down a couple of times.”
The first accuser, a third grade student, was touched multiple times by Prew, according to court documents. Prew was the child’s coach but also a family friend. Police said the sexual abuse happened in the condo where Prew was living.
A Facebook page called “Support Chris Prew” was initially started in his defense when news of his arrest broke. The page has since been taken down. Family and friends of Prew were in the courtroom Wednesday but left without commenting to reporters.
Prew provides private and group hockey coaching sessions in the Marblehead area but is not affiliated with Marblehead Youth Hockey Association.
Prew is being held without bail.
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