New Charges For Youth Hockey Coach Charged With Unlawful Sexual Contact

Walter Tracy Ferinden

Gloucester County, PA. – The Gloucester County Prosecutor’s office has signed additional charges against Walter W. Ferinden (DOB 5/20/61), of Lansdale PA, a youth hockey coach who was arrested in March on charges of sexually assaulting a boy in 1994 in Deptford where Ferinden was then living and when the boy was involved in playing organized hockey, according the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office.

The new complaint alleges sexual contact with a boy in Shamong Township, Burlington County in 1992. He was arrested on the second-degree charges Wednesday (6/7) at the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office. The boy involved in the Burlington County case is not the boy alleged to be the victim in the Deptford complaint. This new case is expected to be transferred to Gloucester County for prosecution.

After his initial Gloucester County arrest, Ferinden has been on electronic monitoring and was required to surrender his passport.

Ferinden is also charged in New Castle, Delaware with nine counts of second-degree unlawful sexual contact with minors.

Through the 1990s and as recently as 2010, Ferinden coached youth hockey and conducted skating clinics in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York and Vermont.

Anyone with information on this case or who believes they know someone possibly victimized by Walter Ferinden is asked to contact GCPO Det. Gregory Malesich at 856-384-5626.

New Castle detectives believe there may be more victims and are asking anyone with information pertaining to their investigation to contact Det. Escheman at 302-395-2745 or via e-mail at [email protected].

Original Story

Delaware – New Castle County Police (NCCPD) have arrested Walter “Tracy” Ferinden, 55, of Lansdale, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, in connection with a sexual abuse investigation from the 1980s and 90s, according to NCCPD Spokesman JP Piser.

Piser said that in June, 2016, County Police Family Services Unit detectives began an investigation into reports of sexual abuse involving Walter “Tracy” Ferinden. County Police conducted joint investigations with the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office in New Jersey- as victims reported the sexual abuse occurred in Delaware and New Jersey.

Both of the reported sexual abuse cases in Delaware allegedly occurred during the late 1980s and early 1990s, when Walter “Tracy” Ferinden was coaching ice hockey, according to Piser. Both of the Delaware victims are male and were under the age of eighteen at the time of the crime.

On Monday Mar 20, 2017. Walter “Tracy” Ferinden turned himself in to police and charged with nine counts of second-degree unlawful sexual contact. He was arraigned and released after posting $25,000 secured bail.

Ferinden coached youth hockey and clinics in  New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Vermont. He also led clinics at Holly Dell Ice Arena in Washington Township.

Based on the investigation, detectives believe there may be more victims and are asking anyone with any information pertaining to this investigation to contact Det. Escheman at (302) 395-2745 or via email at [email protected].

Ferinden was also charged with two counts of sexual contact with a 12-year-old boy for incidents that allegedly occurred at Ferinden’s Deptford, New Jersey home in the summer of 1994, according to the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office. An additional New Jersey victim came forward but the alleged incident happen before 1991 putting it past the statute of limitations.

Image Credits: NCCPD

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First State Update's Delaware editorial team covers New Castle County, Kent County and Sussex County breaking news, political news, and general news stories. We bring the reader the latest news from the Wilmington, Newark, Dover, Rehoboth Beach and all point in between. If you have news to share, email us at [email protected].

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