A former youth hockey coach accused of sexually assaulting one of his young players in the 1990s pleaded not guilty in Suffolk Superior Court to the charges against him, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
Robert Richardson, 61, of Dorchester, was indicted on three counts of child rape, authorities said. The alleged abuse began in 1991 when Richardson gave the victim, then 13, a spot on the team he coached, according to the DA’s office. He later had the teenager spend a few nights a week at his home, which is where the sexual abuse took place, authorities said.
While in his teens, the victim reported the abuse to a family member and told his high school hockey coach that he was not comfortable working with Richardson, though he did not say why, according to the DA’s office. The coach dismissed Richardson from his position with the team at that time, authorities said. The victim reported the abuse to police last year.
Richardson was perviously accused of sexually assaulting a teen in 1998, The Boston Globe reported. He was acquitted on those charges in a 2005 case.
Richardson’s bail was set at $500, and he was ordered not to contact the victim either directly or indirectly, according to the DA’s office. He will appear back in court in November.
