'Inappropriate behaviour' by coach charged with sexual assault began years ago, former player alleges
'It's a pattern. It's not ... just a 1-time thing,' former player says after charges against Madison Biluk, 28
A former high school basketball player who played for a Manitoba coach charged with sexual assault, sexual exploitation and luring says she has called Winnipeg police to report what she describes as Madison Biluk's "inappropriate behaviour."
The woman says she was shocked to hear last Friday that 15 charges had been laid against Biluk, and called the police that same day.
"I just let them know, it's a pattern. It's not something that's just a one-time thing," she said in a conversation with CBC News.
CBC is not identifying the woman because she was a minor at the time. She says two of her former teammates told her they would also call police.
Biluk, a now 28-year-old from Winnipeg, has also been charged with sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching, assault and assault with a weapon, among other offences.
Biluk coached with Hockey Manitoba from 2018-23 and is accused of "grooming and gaining the trust" on an underaged hockey player she once coached, police said last week, after they received a tip in October about a "sexually exploitative relationship."
It came to light that month through a social media post by the survivor.
The abuse is alleged to have occurred over two years, including time when Biluk was no longer the teenager's coach. Biluk was in her 20s at the time, according to police.
In addition to coaching hockey, for six years, Biluk coached the Gimli High School's female basketball varsity team, made up of students in grades 10 to 12.
In 2017, she won the Basketball Manitoba award for AA girls coach of the year.
'Everyone trusted her'
Looking back on those years, the former player who spoke with CBC says there was a lot of inappropriate behaviour, including sleepovers, invitations to Biluk's hot tub and access to alcohol.
"We travelled a lot because our team was good," the player said. Biluk would sometimes sleep in the same hotel room as players, she alleged.
"Everyone trusted her. Kids just don't know that it's inappropriate," the woman said.
"A 23-year-old, or how[ever] old she was during the time, is going to be sleeping in bed half-naked, and your kid is half-naked with them together on a school trip?… You're not thinking like that."
WATCH | A Nov. 10, 2023, story on the charges against Biluk:
Scott Hill, superintendent of the Evergreen School Division, which includes Gimli, would not comment on the case or the allegations, but provided an email he has sent to parents.
It confirmed Biluk volunteered as a girls basketball coach at Gimli High School from 2014-20. She also completed a student-teaching practicum there in 2019-20, and substitute taught in the school division on three days last school year.
Biluk is currently not employed or engaged by the division in any capacity, the letter said.
The division has "no reason at the present time to believe that any current or past students are victims," Hill wrote, but "encourages those who may have been impacted to come forward to the division or to the police."
Biluk has also been charged with transmitting, making available, distributing or selling sexually explicit material, as well as making, printing, selling or possessing child pornography for the purpose of publishing.
She has been released on conditions, which include a condition that she not "post, publish, distribute or make available any comments that refer to the complaint," according to court documents. She's also not allowed any contact with that person.
The conditions also say Biluk is not allowed to password protect any of her cellphones, computers or other data-storage devices.
In addition, she's required to live at a specified Winnipeg address and is prohibited from possessing or carrying any weapon.
CBC News has been unable to reach Biluk for comment.
Winnipeg police won't confirm how many tips have come in since they announced the charges against Biluk at a news conference on Friday.
Police normally don't release information on tips or calls regarding ongoing investigations, Winnipeg Police Service Const. Dani McKinnon said in an email.
"People may have called [the] non-emergency line to provide … info about the investigation that was outlined already," she wrote.
Support is available through Winnipeg Police Service victim services at 204-986-6350 and the Klinic Sexual Assault Crisis Line at 204-786-8631.
Files by Alana Cole