The owner of an erotic shop in Châteauguay was found guilty of sexually assaulting a client on Wednesday at the Salaberry-de-Valleyfield courthouse.
Pierre Bertrand, 65, owner of the Sex-Cetera erotic shop had invited his victim, an 18-year-old woman at the time, to participate in a sexy photo session in fine lingerie on September 25, 2020. The session was scheduled in his store.
But what was supposed to be a duly paid legal activity quickly turned into a sexual assault. That evening, the victim, whose identity is protected by a court order, found herself completely naked taking explicit photos with sex toys. The accused then took the opportunity to attack the young woman.
During the reading of the judgment, Wednesday, the judge of the Court of Quebec Bertrand St-Arnaud skinned the credibility of the accused.
“The court does not believe the defendant on several elements of his testimony […]. Some [de ses] about […] are astonishing and appreciated in the light of all the evidence appear completely implausible,” the judge declared.
The offender tried to have the court believe that the complainant was not embarrassed, that she stripped naked in front of him as soon as she entered the store and that she was consenting by her silence to the acts of aggression .
“He [Pierre Bertrand] constantly minimizes some of the actions taken by him”, explained the magistrate.
The accused also contradicted himself between what he had said when he made his statement to the police and what he said during his testimony at trial.
As for the complainant’s testimony, the judge gave it good credibility. “[Elle] testifies calmly with emotion and in a way that seems sincere and credible”, said the one who presides over the court, adding that she had answered “with confidence often without hesitation”.
Pierre Bertrand was therefore found guilty of sexual assault. He will have to return to court on March 15, when the Crown should request a presential report.