Soccer coach Félix-Antoine Bédard, accused of luring multiple underage victimsfailed to convince the judge to release him on Monday.
Judge René De La Sablonnière ordered the detention of the 27-year-old accused until the end of the proceedings, as desired by the public prosecutor, at the end of his investigation into his release at the Quebec courthouse.
The magistrate felt that a well-informed public would have had “difficulty” understanding a contrary decision, given the nature of the offences, the number of alleged victims, the likelihood of conviction and the penalty incurred.
It is better to “establish clearly beyond any doubt the disease from which you suffer” before administering “a remedy”, he illustrated.
He added that the offenses with which he is charged, if proven, would constitute a breach of trust not only towards the alleged victims in the student community, but also their parents.
Félix-Antoine Bédard was arrested at the end of February following a quick investigation by the Quebec police. He had professional ties with at least one educational institution in the Quebec region and was involved in various sports associations.
He faces 55 counts of luring, production of child pornography, exhibitionism and making accessible sexually explicit material, against about thirty minor victims.