Children’s Hockey Coach Sentenced to 75 Years for Sexual Abuse of Two Boys

That child was spared further abuse only when the first victim, at age 22, came forward to report his nightmare experiences and to express suspicions that another had taken his place.

On July 2, James R. Lambert’s predatory reign of terror finally came to an end when U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk sentenced the 42-year-old pedophile to 75 years in prison on two counts of production of child pornography, one count of transporting a minor across state lines to engage in criminal sexual activity, one count of receiving child pornography and one count of aggravated sexual abuse.

“This sentencing shows the magnitude of what can happen when predators commit these types of heinous crimes that exploit the most vulnerable among us,” Homeland Security Investigations-Kansas City Acting Special Agent in Charge Mark Zito said in a July 3 press release. “HSI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to eradicate child exploitation and protect our children from harm.”

In the July 3 press release, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson said Lambert displayed a “psychopathic level” of manipulation to keep his victims from reporting the abuse and “true sadism” towards the children.

In addition to the images involving the first victim, investigators found “hundreds of files on Lambert’s electronic devices documenting his abuse of the second victim. They also found at least 1,185 files containing child sexual abuse material that Lambert obtained online,” the press release stated.

Victim Abused in Several States and Foreign Countries

According to the indictment reviewed by The Daily Muck, the second victim was six when the abuse started. It occurred between Jan. 1, 2019 and May 18, 2023. The first victim endured Lambert’s abuse from the time he was six until he was 17, between Jan. 1, 2007 and Dec. 31, 2018.

The indictment states that Lambert took the first boy with him to Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, Tennessee, France, Germany, Sweden “and other interstate and foreign locations with the intent to engage in sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense.”

Lambert was an assistant hockey coach at Lindenwood University and coached the St. Peters Hockey and Chesterfield Hockey Association youth clubs.

Lambert was arrested and was being held without bond in St. Charles County on charges of statutory sodomy and child molestation when federal authorities indicted him on June 28, 2023 for crimes against both victims. He also faced charges of statutory sodomy and sexual exploitation of a child in St. Louis County in connection with the first victim, June 2023 press releases from Immigration and Customs Protection and the U.S. Attorney’s Office noted.

The Daily Muck could not reach St. Louis and St. Charles county prosecutors to confirm they will not pursue the state charges against Lambert.

Lambert pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to two counts of production of child pornography, one count of transporting a minor across state lines to engage in criminal sexual activity, one count of receiving child pornography and one count of aggravated sexual abuse, the U.S. Attorney reported in a Feb. 28 press release.

Are There More?

Shortly after his arrest on state charges in June 2023, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell expressed his outrage and concerns to a local news station.

“I’m usually good at keeping my composure, but this one is a little more difficult,” Bell said. “Nothing is more disturbing, nothing cries out for justice louder, than sexual abuse of a child.” He said people, especially children, “tend not to ever fully heal” from this type of trauma.

Bell said that based on his past experience, he is concerned there were more victims than the two involved in this case.

“People who are charged with these types of acts – sexual exploitation, child molestation, things of that nature – normally it’s not the first time,” he said.

For this reason, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has asked anyone with information about other potential victims to contact the Lake St. Louis Police Department at 636-625-8018 or email policetips@lakesaintlouis.com.

Project Safe Childhood

Like many other sexual abuse cases The Daily Muck has covered, this investigation was part of the federal Project Safe Childhood initiative to combat sexual abuse and exploitation of children. Under this campaign, federal, state and local agencies combine their efforts and resources to “better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims,” the U.S. Attorney’s office said.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Unfortunately, Lambert isn’t the only recent high-profile case involving youth sports coaches abusing children. The Daily Muck has recently covered stories about Leroy Thomas Joyner Jr, a youth tennis coach and Sean Stevenson, a high school track coach.