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Former Swift Current Broncos coach Graham James has pleaded guilty to charges of sexual assault involing two former players, including former Moose Jaw Warrior and NHL star Theo Fleury.

The convicted sex offender entered his plea in a Winnipeg courtroom over a video link from Montreal.

James was previously convincted of abusing other former players, including former Bronco Sheldon Kennedy. He served 3 1/2 years in prison on those charges.

The nine new charges involved Fleury and two others, their names are protected under a court-ordered publication ban. James only pleaded guilty to charges involving two of the players.

The agreed statement of facts read out in the Winnipeg courtroom by Crown Coleen McDuff said James's abuse of Fleury started in September 1983 and lasted until August 1985. The statement said the encounters began with James fondling Fleury while he slept and escalated to the coach performing oral sex. The statement indicated it was much the same with the second victim. Those attacks took place between 1989 and 1994.

James has been living in Montreal after being released on bail a year and a half ago.

Fleury expressed his thoughts on the guilty plea in a press release : "Graham James (pleaded) guilty years ago, and then he was granted a pardon, after he was found in Mexico and brought back to Canada on these charges he was given bail, then plea bargained for 14 months – this is what the mighty Canadian justice system allowed a previously convicted child rapist to do."

"And when he gets out of prison he will do it again, and again, and again."

"I believe what people show me – he showed me he was and is a rapist. There is no changing a monster like that."

"Defense lawyers can package up their clients in fancy words and lengthy legal maneuvers, but how they sleep at night knowing they are aiding and abetting a rapist is beyond me."

"There is no more sugar coating this. This guilty plea is an international call to action – these people, the rapists and their defenders alike, need to take notice that victims, survivors, and victors of sexual assault will stand together and we are going to change this world."

"This is a call to action on behalf of the 8 million survivors of childhood rape, and a call to all Canadians – this epidemic has to stop and stop now."


Sentencing is scheduled for February.

James coached the Broncos from 1986 to 1994. After his first conviction he was banned from coaching by the Canadian Hockey Association. An unnamed victim and his parents filed a civil lawsuit against James, the Canadian Hockey Association, the Western Hockey League and the Broncos in 1999. It was settled out of court in 2003.