More sex assault charges against N.J. youth hockey coach
Walter Ferinden coached youth hockey and skating clinics in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, and Vermont starting in the 1990s and as recently as 2010.
A former youth hockey coach already charged with molesting boys years ago in New Jersey and Delaware has been charged with the sexual assault of another minor.
The Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office on Thursday announced the arrest of Walter F. "Tracy" Ferinden of Lansdale on charges that he sexually assaulted a Shamong boy in 1992.
Ferinden, 55, whom Gloucester County charged in March with the 1994 sexual assault of a 12-year-old Deptford boy, was arrested Wednesday by the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office, which signed second-degree sexual assault charges against him. The case is expected to be transferred to Gloucester County for prosecution.
Ferinden's lawyer, Daniel Rybeck of Cherry Hill, did not return a request for comment. Ferinden was previously represented by Rybeck's law partner, John Eastlack, who has been nominated to be a Superior Court judge.
The Shamong boy involved in the 1992 case is not the same minor involved in the Deptford case, according to the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office.
In the Deptford case, according to a New Jersey criminal complaint against Ferinden, an adult male told Gloucester County authorities that in the summer of 1994, when he was 12 and Ferinden was his coach at a hockey camp, Ferinden invited him to his Deptford apartment on two occasions, where he kissed and molested him.
Ferinden is also charged in New Castle, Del., with nine counts of second-degree unlawful sexual conduct with minors there. He turned himself in to New Castle police on March 20, and was released after posting $25,000 bail.
Ferinden was required to surrender his passport after his March arrest and has been on electronic monitoring, according to the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office. It said he had coached youth hockey and skating clinics in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, and Vermont starting in the 1990s and as recently as 2010.
Authorities have asked that anyone with information about these cases, or who believes they know someone allegedly victimized by Ferinden, contact Gloucester County police Detective Gregory Malesich at 856-384-5626.
New Castle detectives have asked that anyone with information related to their investigation contact Detective J.C. Escheman at 302-395-2745 or by email at jcescheman@nccde.org.