Fairbanks, AK—
A Former Fairbanks youth hockey coach was charged with sexual abuse of a minor. Tara Leighton, a 29-year-old hockey referee, was arrested Friday and has been charged with five counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor.
Alaska State Troopers said Leighton, who was 22 at the time of the alleged abuse, coached the then 14-year-old victim in 2004. Leighton was a coach for the Alaska Icebreakers, a girl’s hockey team.
Trooper received reports back in 2008 of Leighton abusing a member of the hockey team she was coaching. According to court documents, there are five different incidents of Leighton’s alleged abuse of the same minor.
Bail has been set at $25,000.
