Gymnastics coach Michel Arsenault under investigation for sex assaults

Gymnastics coachMichelArsenaultis being investigated byQuebec's provincial police force over alleged sexual assaults, Radio-Canada Sports has learned.

TheSretduQubec(SQ) confirmed on Wednesday an investigation is underway,but would not identify the man named in the complaints.

SQ spokespersonMartineAsselinsaid police are looking into allegations against a coachfromseven complainants all girls and young women who were between 10 and 20 years old at the time of the alleged incidents.

Police confirmed that the suspect is a 56-year-old man, no longer living in Quebec.

Arsenaultwasaccused of assault by severalathletesin December.

He left Quebec in 1994, settled in Alberta and got a jobcoaching gymnastics at a gym in Edmonton. In 2002, he and his wife opened their own gym, Champions Gymnastics, in Edmonton.

No longer at Edmonton gym

After Radio-CanadaSports published an investigationlast month, featuring first-handaccounts from women who say they were abusedin the1980sand1990s,Arsenaultwas dropped from the gym.

On Dec.11, the gym announced that Arsenault's wife, Valrie Oudin, and the couple's daughter, Sara Stafford, were now its sole owners.

However, Alberta's business register indicates that Arsenault still owns 50 per centof the company's shares.

The SQ ishoping that by launching an investigation, other potential victimsmight come forward.

"For victims, but also for witnesses people who might have heard something but at the timenever spoke up they can contact theSuretduQubecconfidentially," said Asselin.

The SQ can be reached at 1-800-659-4264.