One of Quebec’s most wanted criminals is taking it easy in Mexico. Blake Charbonneau, who faces serious charges of armed sexual assault and pimping, has fled the province, according to police reports.
Until recently, the 35-year-old posted pictures in heavenly settings on Instagram: selfies near the sea, in a spa, with champagne, in front of giant swimming pools… But Blake Charbonneau closed his account on November 29, the day the Sûreté du Québec issued a search notice in order to find the man with black hair and blue eyes. Police called for the public’s help in locating him.
PHOTO FROM INSTAGRAM
Blake Charbonneau
Blake Charbonneau is accused of sexually assaulting a 35-year-old woman, with a weapon and “with the participation of another person”. The victim was so banged up that the accused “put his life in danger”, according to the indictment. He is also said to have “caused a person to offer or render sexual services for remuneration”. He would have “recruited, detained, hid or lodged a person who offers or renders sexual services for remuneration”.
According to investigators, the offenses committed by Blake Charbonneau “extend over several years”.
In total, the complaints of four different victims, aged 22 to 35, were accepted by the police in Quebec and Laval.
The man already has a criminal record of assault, possession of an unauthorized weapon and possession of drugs.
The criminal is now facing a Canada-wide arrest warrant for his commitment to reside at an address on rue Tourville in Laval. On his release, he also posted $ 1,000 bail and promised not to own any firearms.
However, the police recently discovered that the man no longer lives in Laval. “There is indeed reason to believe that he left Quebec and perhaps even Canada,” said Benoit Richard, spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec. A police source confirms that the man went into exile in the hot sun of Latin America.
The Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP) asserts that the accused had the right to travel abroad as long as his main address remained the one he had provided to the court. “At the time, there was no reason to believe that Mister was going to run away or slip away. These conditions were imposed in that context. But currently, there is a new charge for non-compliance with conditions because he no longer remains in the province ”, explains Me Audrey Roy-Cloutier, spokesperson for the DPCP.
“Put the girls in confidence”
Sophie * is one of the women who filed a complaint with the police against Blake Charbonneau. The latter would have approached her on Badoo, a dating site, in 2019. He was not looking for serious relationships, “he wanted to have fun”, explains Sophie about this period which “will go on. [la] mark for life. ”
The two singles meet a few times and they get along well. “He does everything to put the girls in confidence,” adds the woman, who cannot be identified.
After a month, Blake Charbonneau tells him that he knows a way to make money easily. Friends of his sell sex.
It’s safe and paid, he adds, depending on Sophie’s version.
Sophie accepts, but for a single client. The alleged pimp takes away half of his pay, says the woman. He convinces her to continue, because their new income will allow them to lead a good life.
Sophie finally worked for Blake Charbonneau for a year and a half, she says, before reporting him to the police.
A possible extradition
Me Marie-Hélène Giroux confirms that the police have remedies to bring the accused back to court. An extradition treaty exists between Mexico and Canada.
“From the moment an extradition request is initiated, the police there open an investigation to arrest the person. An exchange of police information is also taking place, ”explains the lawyer, who has led several extradition cases.
Still, the procedure can be long, she admits. “It may take a while to find the person and get hold of them. But once she’s located, she’ll be arrested for extradition. ”
The Sûreté du Québec refuses to say whether the pan-Canadian arrest warrant will be extended internationally, but the investigation is still indeed active, confirms Benoit Richard.