Coach accused of sex crimes worked with baseball, Scouts

A former minor hockey coach facing more than 30 sex-related charges involving children has been granted bail on strict conditions.

Kelly Jones, 57, of Ottawa, appeared in court Monday afternoon. He has been charged with sexual offences involving 11 alleged victims. 

A justice of the peace ruled Jones must report in person every Friday and must not have any communication with any of the alleged victims.

Jones is also not allowed to be anywhere with minors under the age of 16 and has surrendered his passport to police.

Wife must pay $5,000 bond

Jones' common-law wife will act as his surety and must put up a $5,000 bond. Jones also cannot leave the house without her, the court said.

Ottawa police charged Jones last month after an investigation in March into allegations he had sexually assaulted a boy between 1987 and 1991. The boy was allegedly assaulted from age 11 to 15.

Police charged Jones with sexual assault, sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching and sexual exploitation of a young male.

Since that time, police said more people have come forward.

As a result, police have laid more than 30 additional charges, including sexual assault, sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching and sexual exploitation and intimidation.

The charges relate to multiple incidents going back decades. The alleged victims ranged in age from 6 to 15 years of age at the time, police said.

Andrew Hazard, now 30, said he played for Jones with the Canterbury Crusaders in the 1990s and said he's shocked by the allegations.

"He was actually a good coach. He would pump us up if we were down a couple of goals," he said. "He was there for us."

"He was a stand-up guy … a gentleman," said Christopher Law, who said he's known Jones casually for about 15 years.

"A little uptight [but] very honest, forthright, hard working."

Publication ban covers some details

Jones' minor hockey coaching career started in the late 1980s and appears to have ended in 2003, when he was last registered with Hockey Canada as a coach with the Peewee-level Ottawa Sting.

He coached teams such as the Crusaders and Ottawa Ice out of arenas that include the Jim Durrell Complex on Walkley Road and the Canterbury Arena.

Jones also ran a summer program for the Ottawa Jr. 67s and twice organized Ottawa's annual Icebreaker tournament.

Other team names are covered by a publication ban.

Law said some of his friends are having uncomfortable discussions with their sons.

"They went right to their kids and asked if he did anything to them, if he ever did anything untoward … when he was your coach," he said.

Police say there could be more victims

Investigators working on the case said there could still be more victims in this case, since he kept coaching for six more years after the alleged incidents in 1997.

Jones coached at least two baseball teams, the Canterbury Hawks and South Ottawa Blues.

He was also a Scout leader.

Law said Jones once worked as a bartender at a Lorenzo's location in Ottawa, where photos of some of the teams he's coached still hung on the wall on Monday.

He also worked as a sound technician for "dozens" of bands in the Ottawa area, according to one group that had used him in the past.