Coach accused of sex offences wraps up testimony
CBC News
Posted: Feb 14, 2013 1:20 PM MT
Last Updated: Feb 14, 2013 9:36 PM MT
Former Calgary ringette coach Kelsea Hepburn is on trial for sexual interference and invitation to sexual touching. (CBC)
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A former ringette coach on trial for sex-related offences against one of her teenage players testified on Thursday that she isn’t a bad person.
Kelsea Hepburn is on trial for sexual interference and invitation to sexual touching in incidents that allegedly happened in 2010 and 2011. She has pleaded not guilty.
Her lawyer continued presenting her defence on Thursday, with Hepburn testifying.
"I made a poor decision in how I handled the situation. I’m not a bad person," said Hepburn.
Hepburn argued the girl was infatuated and she didn’t set proper boundaries. When asked about accusations of kissing and touching, Hepburn said she’d made mistakes.
Earlier this week, Hepburn was asked to read aloud dozens of texting conversations she had with a 13-year-old player on her team. In one exchange on New Year’s Eve, Hepburn asked where the girl wants to kiss her.
Hepburn told court these were only text messages and she had no intention of doing the things she wrote about. The Crown said the texts show the reverse was true.
But the sex charges against Hepburn will soon be in the hands of a jury.
Final arguments Thursday afternoon by Hepburn's lawyer acknowledged racy text messages between her and the girl, and an incident where the girl's mother found them half-naked in the family's basement.
The Crown argues the series of texts show months of sexual banter and fantasy between the two.
The judge is expected to give final instructions to the jury Friday.
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