Hockey coach accused of sexually assaulting 8 boys to be released on bail

MARBLEHEAD, Mass. — A youth hockey coach accused of sexually assaulting eight boys can no longer be held without bail, the Essex DA's office said.

Christopher Prew, 33, has been indicted for one count of rape of a child, 14 counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 and one count of attempted indecent assault and battery on a child under 14.

The eight victims are boys between the ages of seven and 13.

Prew, who was arrested and charged in Feb. 2018 after a 9-year-old victim came forward accusing Prew of indecently assaulting and orally raping him, had been held without bail until now.

Marblehead police said the boy told his mother what happened when she asked why he wanted to stop playing hockey.

Under Massachusetts' dangerousness statute, Prew can no longer be held without bail and was will be released on $15,000 bail if he meets certain conditions. He needs to verify where he is going to live and make sure that there are no minor children and firearms inside the house and he is required to be fitted with a GPS tracking device.

"As District Attorney, it is my duty to protect the public. That duty drastically is impeded if the law does not allow my Office to seek pre-trial detention under the dangerousness statute against individuals who rape and sexually assault children," said Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett. "There is no other victim more vulnerable than a child. The law must be changed so that we may protect them from predators. I am asking the Legislature, again, to enact Governor Baker's re-file, 'An Act to Protect the Commonwealth from Dangerous Persons,' immediately to close this gap in the law."

Along with the conditions listed above, Prew has to live with a family member other than his mother and step-father, surrender himself to a Vermont warrant, check-in weekly with probation, stay away from and have no contact with the victims and witnesses, stay out of the town of Marblehead, have no unsupervised contact with children under 16, no employment involving children under 18, submit to a curfew (7:00 pm to 7:00 am), not leave the state except for court appearances in Vermont, refrain from possessing a firearm or other dangerous weapons and surrender his passport.

Prew is also facing similar allegations in Vermont.

His trial is scheduled for May 4, 2020 and has a status hearing scheduled for Jan. 9, 2020.

>> MORE: Hockey coach accused of assaulting boy in Marblehead after school program

Cox Media Group