The police have cleaned up in the last few days by handcuffing around thirty men, including a teacher, in connection with child pornography in the four corners of Quebec.
This is the conclusion of investigations that were initiated last fall by many police forces, including those of Longueuil, Quebec, Montreal, Laval, Gatineau and the Sûreté du Québec.
The large-scale operation enabled the Integrated Team to Combat Child Pornography, which coordinated the operation, to arrest no less than 31 individuals.
Searches were carried out in each of their homes as well as in places they used, which led to the seizure of computer equipment.
In total, more than 275 police officers were mobilized for this major raid.
Among the men put out of harm’s way, we find Gilles Croteau. He is a secondary 3 mathematics teacher at Collège Trinité in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville.
A teacher arrested
Photo taken from the Facebook profile of Gilles Croteau
Gilles Croteau teaches secondary 3 mathematics at Collège Trinité
The 57-year-old man is charged with luring and producing and distributing child pornography. He was suspended without pay by the private establishment, according to a note sent to the parents and obtained by TVA Nouvelles.
Others caught in this major roundup are repeat child sex offenders.
This is particularly the case of Christian Jean, who in 2021 received a nine-month suspended sentence for sexual assault.
For his part, Jean-Jacques Rondeau had been sentenced to 6 months in detention for having accessed child pornography in 2017.
The sleuths also handcuffed Pierre Laurendeau, a 79-year-old musician and producer, who has collaborated with well-known names in Quebec music such as Michèle Richard, Paul Daraîche, Les Classels and Carmen Campagne.
Photo taken from Wikimedia Commons, Pierre Laurendeau
Pierre Laurendeau is a 79-year-old producer and musician from Quebec.
Of all ages
The individuals, who were all arrested between January 23 and 26, were between 37 and 79 years old.
Photo taken from the Facebook profile of Samuel Emery
Samuel Emery, 37, is an accountant from Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville.
They all appeared in court, where they face charges including luring, invitation to sexual touching, sexual assault and producing, possessing and distributing child pornography.
“It is thanks to the rigorous work of all the police officers and prosecutors involved that such results are possible,” said Lieutenant Marc-Antoine Vachon, head of the Integrated Team to Combat Child Pornography.
– With Nora T. Lamontagne
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Here are the accused men*
- Christian John39 years old, Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs
- Jean-Hubert Foisy51 years old, Repentigny
- Jimmy Legault38, Windsor
- Loic Moquin-Leger38 years old, Laval
- Even Binet39, Saint-Côme–Linière
- Claude-Josue Fonrose41 years old, Montreal
- Dominique Dube42 years old, Saint-Jérôme
- Serge Girard47 years old, Gatineau
- Alain Klimszak53 years old, Montreal
- Gilles Croteau57 years old, Saint-Hubert
- Yoland Beaudet61 years old, Dolbeau-Mistassini
- Jean Jacques Rondeau69 years old, Drummondville
- Dominic Fortin41 years old, Drummondville
- Dave Grondin43 years old, Thetford Mines
- Mathieu Carrier43 years old, Montreal
- Mathieu Roll45 years old, Jonquière
- Alexandre Turcot45 years old, Contrecoeur
- Michel Cossette47 years old, Trois-Rivières
- Yves Legault48 years old, Longueuil
- Pierre Bouchard58 years old, Quebec
- Victor Rebello61 years old, Montreal
- Pierre Laurendeau79 years old, Repentigny
- Rocky Ethier43 years old, Gatineau
- André-Maxime Boutot60 years old, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
- Martin Brodeur51 years old, Saint-Eustache
- Jacques Normandeau69 years old, Laval
- Simon Cloutier46 years old, Terrebonne
- Samuel Emery37 years old, Saint-Bruno
- Stephane Patenaude58 years old, Drummondville
- Marcel Boucher68 years old, Rivière-du-Loup
*A 31st person had yet to appear at the time of publishing