‘We are defined by our choices’: lawyers push for six years for ex-hockey coach who sexually abused teen
A former youth hockey coach who repeatedly sexually abused of one of her players for more than a year should go to prison for six years, a judge was told Thursday.
Madison Biluk, 30, pleaded guilty last year to one count of sexual assault and one count of luring.
Biluk was aware when she abused the victim that she was vulnerable, depressed and had been sexually abused in the past, Crown attorney Larissa Campbell told provincial court Judge Jerilee Ryle.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS
Madison Biluk is being sentenced after pleading guilty last year to one count of sexual assault and one count of luring.
“Despite knowing how vulnerable (the victim) was, (Biluk) still chose to sexually abuse her,” Campbell said.
“There is a saying: we are defined by our choices, and that is the case here. (Biluk) made repeated choices to abuse (the victim) not once, not twice but numerous times over a lengthy period of time… and exhibited both opportunistic and predatory behaviours in her offending.”
Crown and defence lawyers are jointly recommending the six-year sentence.
“We aren’t suggesting a sentence that is a slap on the wrist,” said defence lawyer Saul Simmonds. “This is a significant penitentiary term.”
Biluk, who showed up to court with her right arm in a sling, is expected to be sentenced in March following surgery to her elbow.
Campbell read out a lengthy agreed statement of facts detailing the circumstances of Biluk’s crimes, which included repeated sex acts, sexualized text messages and taking nude pictures and videos of the victim when she was between the ages of 15 and 16.
Court heard Biluk met the then-14-year-old victim in the spring of 2019 when the girl tried out for the AAA team she was assistant coaching. Biluk, at the time, was already raising eyebrows for the amount of time she spent with players in the dressing room and was cautioned, along with other coaching staff, by their head coach about maintaining appropriate boundaries.
The victim joined the team for the 2019-20 season and was soon among a handful of players that Biluk drove to practices at their home rink north of Winnipeg.
Early in the season, Biluk continued to spend time in the dressing room before and after games and practices, which was noticed by another assistant coach.
The coach “noted that the accused’s behaviour with the players went beyond the professional coach/player relationship,” Campbell said. “She believed that the accused spent significant periods of time with the players, she contacted them outside of hockey and was particularly interested in their home lives.”
“Despite knowing how vulnerable (the victim) was, (Biluk) still chose to sexually abuse her.”
In October 2019, the victim was injured during a game. In the days that followed, Biluk messaged the teen to check on her health.
“From that point onward, the accused and the victim regularly communicated over Snapchat, FaceTime, and other social media platforms,” Campbell said.
Conversations about homework quickly transitioned to more “personal discussions,” about sex, sexual preference and relationship history, with Biluk disclosing she had previously dated a woman.
The two would talk on the phone for hours, early into the morning.
“During one phone call, the accused and the victim communicated that they liked one another,” Campbell said. Biluk told the victim that as her coach, it would be bad to pursue a relationship together.
But instead of pulling away, Biluk’s pursuit of the now-15-year-old girl escalated, as she sent her “increasingly sexualized” Snapchat messages and sexually explicit photographs.
At some point, the girl disclosed to Biluk she had been sexually abused by a “trusted adult figure” and the two became closer.
In December 2019, Biluk was driving the victim home when she kissed the girl on the lips, causing her to panic.
“The accused consoled her and told her that it was ‘OK’ and ‘normal,’” Campbell said.
“This is a significant penitentiary term.”
Sexual activity between the two escalated, and they “agreed to be girlfriends,” with Biluk telling the girl to keep their relationship a secret.
When the girl’s friends questioned the “relationship,” Biluk told her to tell them she was her 18-year-old girlfriend, named Sarah.
In February 2020, Biluk rented an Airbnb for Valentine’s Day and recorded a sex tape with the victim.
By March 2020, Biluk and the victim were arguing regularly over their relationship, which had led to the girl’s loss of many friendships.
“Despite these disagreements, however, they continued to spend time together,” Campbell said. “While the accused continued to perform sexual acts on the victim, the victim did not perform sexual acts on the accused.”
The following June, the girl ended her dating relationship with Biluk, but they continued to meet, with Biluk continuing to perform sex acts on her.
“The victim was emotionally attached to the accused and felt that this was the only way to keep the accused present in her life,” Campbell said.
When the victim moved on to a romantic relationship with another teen girl, Biluk created a Snapchat account with a fake name and messaged the victim’s friends and made disparaging comments about her girlfriend.
Between September 2020 and February 2021, Biluk and the victim were still seeing each other and the sexual abuse continued.
“After hearing about (the teen’s) history with the accused, the victim started to process the abuse she experienced.”
In January 2021, the victim started dating a teen boy, which again caused “friction” with Biluk. One month later, all contact between Biluk and the victim ceased.
Biluk went on to coach AA hockey in Alberta for the 2021-22 season, with her behaviour there raising concerns about “inappropriate boundaries with players,” Campbell said.
Biluk was not invited to return after the season ended and moved back to Winnipeg, where she lasted one more year as a coach before similar concerns put an end to her career.
In early 2023, the victim was struggling with her sexual identity and twice attempted suicide. Weeks later, she met another female teen active in the hockey community who disclosed being similarly groomed by Biluk.
“After hearing about (the teen’s) history with the accused, the victim started to process the abuse she experienced,” Campbell said.
In October 2023, the victim recorded a TikTok video describing how Biluk had exploited her. Winnipeg police became aware of the video and launched an investigation.
Biluk was arrested Nov. 9, 2023, and in a police statement “did not deny sexual contact with the victim.”
Biluk told police if she has any issues, “it’s because she cares too much.”
Simmonds said Biluk had good intentions when she befriended the victim.
Madison Biluk is facing 15 charges including assault, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, sexual interference, and offences related to child pornography. (Facebook)
“This is a situation that morphed from initially altruistic wishes into something, unfortunately, that became criminal,” he said.
Simmonds argued Biluk lacked the maturity and training necessary to assume the coaching responsibilities she had been given and suggested parents, coaches and hockey authorities were too slow to respond to obvious red flags.
Biluk apologized for the harm she caused the victim and “the improper actions I took along the way.”
“I acknowledge the gravity of the mistake I made… and for that I take full responsibility,” she said.
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Dean Pritchard
Courts reporter
Dean Pritchard is courts reporter for the Free Press. He has covered the justice system since 1999, working for the Brandon Sun and Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 2019. Read more about Dean.
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