Simon Houle, the 32-year-old engineer sentenced to a year in prison for sexual assault and voyeurism, is finally granted parole after three months in prison.
Remember that Mr. Houle hit the headlines last summer because he had obtained a controversial conditional discharge. Judge Mathieu Poliquin had said that a criminal record could have “negative and disproportionate consequences” on his career.
However, last January, the Court of Appeal canceled this absolution, stressing that “the type of sexual act committed by Mr. Houle is not insignificant”.
The act in question occurred at a party in 2019. Mr. Houle sexually assaulted a friend who had fallen asleep in a bedroom. When she woke up, the man was moving back and forth in her private parts. He had also untied her bra and was taking several pictures of her.
After obtaining his conditional discharge, in July 2022, Mr. Houle went on vacation to Cuba. He then grabbed the buttocks of a Quebec tourist and told her: “it was not me, it was my hands”.
Mr. Houle was not charged with sexual assault following this event, “for reasons of jurisdiction”, indicates the Commission. However, he pleaded guilty last April to a probation violation.
Alcohol problems
The Commission which returned his conditional release on Thursday notes “unfavorable elements” in Mr. Houle’s file, including his “abusive consumption of alcohol” and the fact that he had admitted to having committed “similar acts”, without these had no legal consequences.
The decision, however, stipulates that “despite these elements”, Mr. Houle recognizes all of his inappropriate behaviors and has “the skills and the adequate level of reflection” for parole to have “real benefits”.
The Commission also notes that Mr. Houle began follow-up with a psychologist in 2019 and that reports indicate that he has “progressed”. The latter’s “work skills” and his “desire not to cause any more victims” were also considered.
Mr. Houle is now beginning a “preparatory exit” process, including the services of a halfway house, the decision reads.