Former Edmonton cheerleading coach charged with sexual assault
Incidents allegedly took place between 2013 and 2014 when complainant was 17
UPDATE: On Oct. 23, 2024, the sexual assault and sexual exploitation charges against Christopher McMurren were stayed. A spokesperson for the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service said that after reviewing the charges and available admissible evidence, it determined there was no reasonable likelihood of conviction.
"The prosecutors discussed their analysis and decision with the complainant and answered the complainant's questions," the spokesperson told CBC News in a statement.
An Ontario man has been charged after a woman told Edmonton police she had been sexually assaulted by her former cheerleading coach when she was 17 years old.
Edmonton police say 33-year-old Christopher McMurren of Hamiton, Ont., has been charged with sexual assault and sexual exploitation.
A woman reported to police in December that she had been sexually assaulted by her former coach. The reported incidents took place in 2013 and 2014, when she was 17, Edmonton police said in a news release Friday.
Following an investigation led by the sexual assault section, Edmonton police arrested and charged McMurren. He has since been released on an undertaking and is expected to appear in court on July 7.
McMurren was suspended from coaching in July 2020 by Cheer Canada, the national sport organization for cheerleading. The organization said in a Friday statement it had received a complaint that month before immediately suspending McMurren and notifying police.
Cheer Canada committed to supporting law enforcement and any other victims while respecting their privacy.
Edmonton police say they believe there could be other complainants. McMurren reportedly coached cheerleading in Edmonton from 2011 to 2016.