A former Winnipeg hockey coach pleads guilty to luring and sexually assaulting a teenage player

WARNING: This article contains detailed information about abuse.

A former Winnipeg hockey coach pleaded guilty to sexual assault and abuse after being charged last year over what prosecutors described as a sexually abusive relationship with a teenage player.

Madison Biluk, now 29, was charged in November 2023 with more than a dozen offenses that included sexual abuse and possession of child pornography in connection with abuse that the court said occurred between October 2019 and February 2021.

Biluk was 24-26 years old at the time, and the player was 15-16 years old, Crown lawyer Larissa Campbell read in a Winnipeg courtroom on Wednesday afternoon. The player’s identity is protected by a court-imposed publication ban.

The court heard that Biluk’s relationship with the player began with driving her to training and taking her skating, and later involved phone calls and private messages on Snapchat containing explicit photos and personal discussions about sex and relationships.

Biluk at one point told the player she shouldn’t pursue a relationship because she was her coach, but her behavior quickly escalated and soon included recording intimate and nude videos and photos with the girl, as well as kissing and touching the player in a sexual manner, Campbell said .

This included a time when they were going to a hockey game and Biluk texted the girl to come to her hotel room, where he performed sexual acts on her.

Biluk, who is no longer a coach and remains on conditional bail, appeared in court on Wednesday afternoon along with a group of family members. The remaining charges she heard were upheld.

Fake Snapchat account

The court heard the girl had lost many friends as a result of how much time she spent with Biluk, who told her to keep their relationship a secret. When her grades began to decline due to her absence from school, the teenager lied to her parents about where she was.

In the spring of 2020, the girl no longer wanted to be in a relationship with Biluk but continued to meet her for sexual purposes, which Campbell said was because the girl “was emotionally attached to the defendant and felt that was the only way to keeping (her) in your life.”

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As the girl began to move on with her life and connect with people closer to her peers, the court heard that Biluk set up a fake Snapchat account to send the girl’s friends disparaging comments about the teenager’s new girlfriend.

The court heard they had stopped all contact by February 2021. But the teenager, who had confided in Biluk that she suffered from depression and had been sexually abused by a trusted adult, continued to fight.

This resulted in a suicide attempt in early February 2023. The court heard that around this time the girl called Biluk asking for help “and suggested that the defendant played a role in her mental health condition,” Campbell said.

About a week later, the girl was taken to the Crisis Response Center after another suicide attempt.

News about a ‘risky’ relationship

Shortly thereafter, the girl began to process what happened between her and Biluk, and in October 2023, she posted a video on TikTok detailing her experience, which caught the attention of the police.

The teenager later shared multiple photos and videos of her and Biluk with police, as well as messages in which Biluk described their relationship as “one of the riskiest things in my life.”

After her arrest, Biluk said she still cared for the player, but was shocked by the TikTok video she posted and referred to the teenager as a “pathological liar,” Campbell said.

Police later seized Biluk’s phone, where they found emails and Snapchat messages about the player, including a message in which she told someone she didn’t think things like age or how a couple met were important in a relationship.

“Who are the people to decide what is socially acceptable and what is not?” Biluk wrote.

Recurring concerns about the coach’s behavior

The court heard Biluk, who was a hockey coach from 2019 to 2023, during which time she raised concerns several times from the coaching staff, who found that her behavior was outside the scope of a professional coach-player relationship, Campbell said.

These concerns resulted in several warnings but did nothing to curb her behavior.

After her contact with the player ended, Biluk continued to train in Alberta and Manitoba, where her behavior again raised concerns about inappropriate boundaries with players. Campbell said although both provinces were investigating her conduct, no further charges were laid.

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During the investigation into Biluk’s behavior towards the teenager, who admitted sexual assault and abuse, the court heard that police received several letters from parents of other players on the girl’s team who “painted a negative image of the defendant’s coaching skills, professionalism and drawing skills.” . appropriate limits for underage players.”

The court heard the teenager still struggles with her sexuality, mental health and ability to have healthy relationships.

Biluk will be sentenced at a later date.

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Help is available for anyone who has experienced sexual violence through crisis lines and local support services through Canadian Ending Violence Association Database. If you are in immediate danger or concerned for your safety or the safety of others nearby, call 911.

If you or someone you know is struggling, you can find help here:

If you’re worried that someone you know may be at risk of suicide, you should talk to them about it, advises the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention. Here are some warning signs:

• Thoughts of suicide.
• Substance abuse.
• Vanity.
• Bow.
• I feel trapped.
• Hopelessness and helplessness.
• Withdrawal.
• Anger.
• Recklessness.
• Mood changes.