Full parole granted to former Mountie, sports coach convicted of sex abuse

A former Mountie and sports coach, convicted of sexually abusing young boys in British Columbia and Saskatchewan, has been granted full parole.

Alan Davidson was sentenced to almost six years for abusing seven boys in the late 1970s and early 1990s.

The offences began in British Columbia, where he met some of the victims through coaching hockey and baseball.

Davidson was later hired as an RCMP officer and worked in Saskatchewan, where court heard he targeted two other boys. He was working as a deputy sheriff in Calgary when he was arrested in 2014.

"The board considered that you committed these offences approximately 30 years ago and there is no new information indicating additional offences since this time,'' the Parole Board of Canada said in the decision released Thursday.

Davidson, who is now 65, was granted day parole last January.

The board previously denied two requests for full parole but said Davidson has made gains since his last application in 2020.

"The board also considered that you have positive family support, have accepted responsibility for your actions, demonstrated remorse and victim empathy, gained insight into your risk factors and have successfully completed interventions in the institutional setting and the community."

The board said a number of restrictions will remain in place for Davidson, including a ban on consuming alcohol and purchasing or possessing pornography. He also cannot be in the presence of any male under 18 without adult supervision.

"The board remains highly concerned with the nature and gravity of your offending and your willingness to manipulate young and vulnerable victims to satisfy your sexual preoccupation," said the decision.

Davidson is also prohibited from entering the South Okanagan, the Cariboo and Peace River Regional District of British Columbia without the approval of his parole supervisor.