After several sentences from the Youth Chamber that could never bring him back on the right track, a 19-year-old young man was sentenced on Monday to five years in prison for prostituting teenage girls and selling drugs while he himself was a minor.
Xavier Hébert was arrested in March 2021 in a strike aimed at bringing down a small pimping network in which he operated. Barely major at that time, the crown had clearly established that an adult sentence was necessary, to which judge Dominic Pagé agreed.
The magistrate sentenced the young man from Lévis to a severe five-year prison term, mainly for two counts of pimping and for counts of selling cocaine, Xanax and hydromorphone. Hébert had also pleaded guilty to counts of attempted pimping, robbery and conspiracy.
Unremarkable portrait
The court drew up a less than stellar portrait of the young man on Monday.
Liar, manipulator, controlling, hypocritical, Xavier Hébert had dangled an “idyllic world” to one of his victims when in fact, he was only using it to achieve his ends, his consumption costing him $ 200 per day at the time of his arrest.
“I promised him everything, but it was just lies,” even admitted the accused to the officer responsible for his pre-sentence report. “I was telling her that I loved her, but I was laughing at her. I completely coaxed her, manipulated her.”
This victim, present in the room at the sentencing, has deep sequelae. The young woman, who made a dozen clients for Hébert on the first evening and who made a total of forty according to the calculation presented in court, very seriously considered suicide and often mutilated herself.
“They are satisfied because they were believed throughout the process,” said crown prosecutor Hugo Breton about the victims in this case. “These are victims who will have to live and relive every day what Mr. Hébert made them suffer, but today it’s a bit of balm on their wounds.”
“Like his idol”
The pre-sentence report described Xavier Hébert as an individual who liked the “image” and the “presence” he projected, that of a criminal “who lives a life of luxury by partying”.
“The first time he rented a hotel room for [l’une des filles]he was happy, he was jumping everywhere and he said to himself that he was finally like his idol, a rapper evolving in crime, ”said Judge Pagé in his decision.
As for the remorse that the accused let on during the judicial process, the judge said he found it difficult to believe them. In fact, Hébert is more worried about himself, for his future and for the harm he is doing to his family, rather than to his victims, the magistrate lamented.
“He gives the impression of having memorized a text”, simply indicated the judge.
Juvenile history
Even if the fact that this is the offender’s first “adult” sentence was taken as a mitigating factor, Judge Dominic Pagé recalled that Hébert had a long track record despite everything. In the Youth Chamber, he has already received five sentences for 22 counts and these previous sentences have never borne fruit.
“In connection with this youthful background, he benefited from several services, assistance measures and support from his parents. But it is clear that it starts again each time, “said the judge in the reasons for his decision.
Xavier Hébert will therefore go to the Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines penitentiary to serve the remainder of his sentence there. As he has served 30 months of preventive detention, he will have another 30 months of imprisonment.
Calm during the reading of the decision, Hébert took a few glances at his parents, but became disorganized after leaving the room accompanied by the correctional officers. In particular, he gave a few cries of rage in addition to violently hitting around him, causing heavy echoes to be heard in the courtroom.