A career minor league netminder who was coaching in the American League will now be serving time for an inappropriate relationship he fostered with a young fan in Maine.
Mike Minard, a career minor-leaguer who played one game in net for the Edmonton Oilers and was a coach with the American League's Portland Pirates, has been sentenced to two months in jail after he pleaded no contest to charges of sexual misconduct.
According to the Bangor Daily News Minard had struck up a relationship with a 13-year-old fan that involved texting each other about hockey, but eventually devolved into more personal matters. Minard allegedly asked the girl to send him pictures of herself with "less clothes on" and she complied. The since-fired Pirates assistant coach also admitted to sending the victim pictures of his genitalia.
The case was cracked by the victim's mother, who found out about the secret communications and called police. Though Minard and the girl never met in person, he did attempt to set up a meeting at a Maine hotel with the victim and a friend, according to police.