Former Montreal school teacher gets 8-year sentence for abuse of 5 young girls | CBC News
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WARNING: This article contains details of sexual abuse of children.
A former elementary school teacher in Montreal was sentenced to eight years in prison on Tuesday for sex crimes involving five girls.
In March, Blanchette pleaded guilty to a total of eight counts including sexual interference, possession of child pornography, child luring and sexual exploitation. He committed the crimes while he worked at two different schools in the city’s Montréal-Nord borough between September 2017 and May 2022.
According to court documents, he used his influence as a teacher and a basketball coach to groom and exploit five girls who were in the fifth and sixth grade when they first met him.
Quebec Court Judge Mélanie Hébert’s 38-page decision outlines his crimes in detail: He possessed “erotic photos” of two of the victims, had sexual contact with one of them when she was 16 and had numerous conversations “of a sexual nature” with four of the five victims.
The abuse of trust, the duration and frequency of the offences were among the factors considered for Blanchette’s sentence, the ruling reads.
The judge’s ruling also explained how the abuse rocked the lives of his victims and their families.
One of the victims told the court that Blanchette had made her fearful around men, disgusted with sex and more prone to consuming alcohol and drugs.
Mother’s suspicion leads to arrest
Blanchette came under suspicion last year when the mother of one of the victims — who was 11 at the time — uncovered a conversation on her daughter’s iPad between her and Blanchette.
He was describing a sexual fantasy involving the child and one of her classmates. The device also had photos of a naked man. The mother was certain the photos showed her daughter’s teacher.
She confronted him about it and he denied any relationship.
At the time, she didn’t think there was enough evidence to go to police. A few months later, the mother discovered text messages on her child’s phone about a sexual encounter at the school earlier that day. She filed a police complaint.
Blanchette was later suspended by his school service centre.
Blanchette’s sentence comes on the same day he turns 29.
With time served, a little more than six years remain on his prison sentence.
“The message being sent today that any crimes of sexual violence against children will be punished severely,” said Crown prosecutor Annabelle Sheppard.
“Unfortunately, no sentence imposed can ever undo the harm that’s been caused.”
The sentence also comes with a 20-year ban — which takes effect after the prison sentence is served — that will prohibit Blanchette from being in a public park or a public area where people 16 and younger can be expected to swim or bathe.
He’ll also be barred from daycares, schools, playgrounds and community centres unless he’s accompanied by an adult who is aware of his crimes.
He’ll have to stay at least two kilometres away from his victims’ homes and will only be allowed to use the internet for specific purposes, such as school, working or finding work or to use streaming services.
Support is available for anyone who has been sexually assaulted. You can access crisis lines and local support services through this Government of Canada website or the Ending Violence Association of Canada database. If you’re in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.
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