Victims of Graham James react to new charge against former hockey coach

Sheldon Kennedy said he knows the latest person to accuse Graham James of sexual assault and he thinks more people will be coming forward.

"I believe that there's other victims out there and I think not just from Graham's year in Swift Current," Kennedy said. "He had access to a lot of kids in a lot of places and we know that Graham James doesn't stop."

James is serving the final few weeks of a five-year sentence for sexual assaults against some players he coached in junior hockey in the 1980s and 1990s.

On Monday, RCMP laid a new charge against him after another former Swift Current Bronco came forward alleging he was sexually assaulted in the early 1990s.

"Obviously he's a well-known offender. He's hurt many, many people," Theo Fleury said. "This is par for the course."

James was convicted in 2012 for repeatedly assaulting Theo Fleury and his cousin Todd Holt when they played for him in the WHL.

James was also sentenced in 1997 to three and a half years for repeated sexual assaults against Sheldon Kennedy.

Fleury said he hopes the latest person to come forward is getting help and support.

"It's not a fun process to have to go through and the way the justice system is set up in our country, it's set up to revictimize victims over and over again," Fleury said.

In Swift Current people were still reeling from the recent sentencing of Cabri-area hockey coach, Ryan Chamberlin, for sexually abusing four boys when the new charge against James was laid.

The mayor, Jerrod Schafer, said the city is working with Sheldon Kennedy to create policies that will help prevent similar abuse cases in the future.

"If you're going to volunteer or for profit, whether it's a music teacher or a day home that we're going to have a certification system, which is a background check and some sort of respect training on anti-bullying," Schafer said.

Schafer said he's hoping to have policy changes in place by the fall.

The next court appearance for Graham James is set for June 19 in Swift Current.