New court date in Maple Leaf Gardens sex abuse scandal

Another court date was set Friday for the convicted sex offender at the centre of the Maple Leaf Gardens sex abuse scandal, now facing dozens of fresh charges.

Gordon Stuckless, 64, did not appear for the brief hearing at Old City Hall, and was represented by lawyer Ari Goldkind.

His next court date was set for May 30, when the date for a judicial pretrial hearing may be set.

Also in court Friday was Gary Kruze, the older brother of sex-abuse victim Martin Kruze, a key whistleblower in the long chain of events who later killed himself.

"My brother would be very proud of the survivors who have come forward," Gary Kruze said outside the courtroom.

"Martin just wanted his voice to be heard and see the end of sexual abuse to youths and teenagers."

Mr. Stuckless was hit with 11 fresh charges – indecent assault, gross indecency and buggery – last month.

He is now before the courts on a total of 49 historical charges after several men stepped forward in recent months saying they were abused by him decades ago.

The charges date back to the 1960s and 70s, when Mr. Stuckless worked as a teacher, sports-club volunteer and assistant equipment manager at Maple Leaf Gardens.

The alleged victims approached police this year after watching a media storm erupt over earlier accusations.

"When one comes forward and then another, they felt they were no longer alone," said Detective Constable Roger Villaflor of the Sex Crimes Unit, adding that the alleged victims come from all walks of life, from successful professionals to ex-convicts.

"The range of victims really shows the depth of Stuckless's offending," Det. Const. Villafor said. "He had no target other than young boys, but aside from that he made no distinction for demographics or socio-economics."

Mr. Stuckless's crimes first came to light in the 1990s and he was convicted in 1997 of multiple sex assaults on boys.

He pleaded guilty to sexual abuse against 24 males ranging in age from 11 to 15, in a series of crimes encompassing more than 500 incidents.

He was initially sentenced to two years less a day in a provincial jail, but on appeal the sentence was extended to five years. He was paroled from Kingston Penitentiary in 2001 after serving two-thirds of that five-year term.

The original sentence was widely criticized as being too lenient, and was said to have been instrumental in the suicide of Martin Kruze, who at age 34 jumped to his death off Toronto's Bloor Viaduct just three days after it was imposed.

Two former Maple Leaf Gardens colleagues, usher John Paul Roby and equipment manager George Hannah, were also implicated in what the Crown described as a pedophile sex ring.

Mr. Roby was convicted and died in a federal prison, but Mr. Hannah died in 1984 before Mr. Kruze spoke up.