Ian Cole a defenseman for The Tampa Bay Lightning has been accused of allegedly sexually abusing, and grooming a minor.
Emily Smith, a Twitter user, made the allegations on Friday, October 7, 2022. The Twitter user made a lengthy statement. The account only has one tweet.
The statement details Smith’s alleged encounter with Cole when she was in high school, and he had been “playing in the NHL for a few years at that point.”
Smith wrote Cole was “very well aware” of how old she was and said she felt pressured into having sex with him. The statement details times when Cole allegedly made “derogatory and misogynistic comments.”
Smith claimed Cole “bragged” to one of his teammates about “sexually assaulting me as a minor the first night we first met.”
“Ian felt emboldened to emotionally and sexually abuse me and other women because the NHL fosters a culture of misogyny,” the statement continued.
Cole has not commented on the allegations. He was suspended by The Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday, October 9, 2022 pending an investigation.