A former Canadian hockey coach, who was convicted of sexually assaulting a teenage boy, has been sent back to jail after attempting to contact his victim on Facebook.
Bernard ‘Bernie’ Lynch, 71, previously a junior hockey coach in Regina, Saskatchewan, received a three-year prison sentence in January 2024 for the sexual and physical abuse of a 17-year-old boy who had stayed at his residence in 1988.
Just weeks following his release on day parole, Lynch was returned to prison after sending a friend request to the victim, now an adult, as indicated by parole board documents acquired by CBC News.
The victim revealed that Lynch had sent him the request in May, an act Lynch initially claimed was accidental.
The coach confessed to having observed his victim’s Facebook account for six months, asserting that he was told the victim had been posting defamatory remarks about him online.
Lynch’s excuse didn’t convince the parole board, and he was arrested the same day the victim’s complaint was filed.
‘It is evident the tremendous and long-term negative consequences your actions had on the victim,’ the documents read.
The board noted, “The victim was at a pivotal point in his young hockey career, and the possibilities of what could have been were never fully achieved.”
Bernard ‘Bernie’ Lynch, 71, formerly a junior hockey coach in Regina, Saskatchewan, was handed a three-year prison term in January 2024 for sexually and physically assaulting a 17-year-old boy who had been residing at his apartment in 1988.
Lynch (pictured at left) admitted to monitoring his victim’s Facebook profile, claiming he had been told the victim was deliberately posting slanderous content about him online
In August 1988, Lynch was serving as an assistant coach for the Western Hockey League’s Regina Pats, while his unidentified victim was attending hockey school.
At the time, the victim was staying at Lynch’s apartment, where the coach held ‘a position of trust and authority’ over the vulnerable teenager, the parole board said.
‘You pressured the victim to drink alcohol, pressured him to take off his clothes, and then sexually assaulted him in a shower,’ the documents stated. ‘The following day, you assaulted him physically.’
The victim came forward with the assault allegations in 2021, leading to a two-year trial during which testimonies from both the victim and the defense were heard.
In December 2023, a judge found Lynch guilty, highlighting how he exploited the culture of silence that pervaded the hockey league at the time.
On the day of the final verdict, the victim testified that Lynch had struck him in the testicles with a ring of keys after a day at hockey camp, where the victim was assisting with instruction, Global News reported.
The judge explained that Lynch’s actions were premeditated, specifically pointing to the deliberate pressure he exerted on the victim to drink alcohol, strip his clothing and rent an adult movie while in his care.
The judge further described it as a crime of opportunity, emphasizing how he persuaded the teenage boy to shower as a way to sober up, only to follow him with ulterior motives.
During prior testimonies, a judge explained that Lynch’s (pictured) actions were premeditated, specifically pointing to the deliberate pressure he exerted on the victim to drink alcohol, strip his clothing and rent an adult movie while in his care
The victim testified that Lynch (pictured in black and white hoodie) had struck him in the testicles with a ring of keys after a day at hockey camp, where the victim was assisting with instruction
Because Lynch had no prior criminal record and demonstrated appropriate behavior while incarcerated, he was granted day parole for the first time in September 2024.
His parole conditions included no direct contact with the victim, avoiding the presence of any male children under 18, participation in a treatment program, and staying away from places where teenagers commonly gather.
Within the first five weeks of his parole, while residing at a community-based residential facility, staff grew concerned that Lynch had developed an unhealthy fixation on a younger offender living in the same building and his parole was suspended.
The parole board noted that this behavior made fellow residents feel ‘uncomfortable’ and included invading personal space, asking intrusive, sexually charged questions, and initiating conversations about male genitalia.
In a review dated April 30, 2025, Lynch was noted as having made positive strides during the first four months of his supervised release, which led to him being granted increased privileges.
Less than a month later, Lynch violated his parole conditions by attempting to contact his victim through Facebook.
Lynch initially claimed he had been researching former hockey associates on Facebook for a book he was writing, and said he came across the victim’s profile as a mutual friend – insisting he didn’t believe he had actually sent a friend request.
Later, Lynch claimed that former associates had told him the victim was slandering his character on the internet.
In the document, the board portrayed Lynch (pictured right) as repeatedly casting himself as the victim, frequently asserting that he suffers from PTSD as a result of his own childhood abuse
After the violation, the parole board concluded that even with additional safeguards in place, Lynch still posed too great a risk to the community
In the document, the board portrayed Lynch as repeatedly casting himself as the victim, frequently asserting that he suffers from PTSD as a result of his own childhood abuse.
Despite the violations, the Correctional Service of Canada recommended Lynch be released again, this time under stricter conditions, including enhanced monitoring of his phone calls, messaging activity and internet use.
However, the board ultimately concluded that even with those additional safeguards in place, Lynch still posed too significant a risk to the community.
