$50,000 reward offered for locating Blake Charbonneau, wanted for pimping, 'life-threatening' sex assault

A "Canada's Most Wanted" type system is being used for a Quebec suspect for the first time to hunt for a man on the run from pimping and armed sexual assault charges, who police call extremely dangerous.

Quebecers are asked to be on high alert for 35-year-old Blake Charbonneau of Laval. If they provide info leading to his arrest, a reward up to $50,000 is available.

Charbonneau's face and information is also being circulated heavily around Canada, on social media and likely billboards, after being identified as one of Canada's most dangerous people on the lam.

He's "wanted for pimping and having committed numerous serious offenses of a sexual nature," including sexual assault at gunpoint, Quebec provincial police wrote in a release.

Some of the assaults were life-threatening, police wrote.

"This individual is suspected of having claimed many victims and is still reportedly preying on victims. He would be active and skillful on social media," they added.

They're collaborating for the first time with something called the Bolo Program, which is an arm of a foundation started by the head of private security firm GardaWorld.

Bolo stands for "Be on the lookout" and the system works by identifying high-priority wanted cases, creating rewards that are not funded by taxpayers, and plastering the person's case details nationally through various channels as it "amplifies" them, according to the program's web page.

It has never been used in Quebec before. In Charbonneau's case, the $50,000 reward has been created in partnership with the Montreal organization Sun Youth.

A Quebec provincial police inspector highlighted that Charbonneau poses a serious risk and police felt the need to take new steps to find him.

“The predation displayed by Blake Charbonneau, the gravity and frequency of the alleged acts, the number of victims identified as well as the high probability that there will be additional victims encourages us to do everything possible to locate him." said Inspector Pierre-Mathieu Viviers, the deputy director of the criminal Investigation Department at the Sûreté du Québec.

"Charbonneau has been evading arrest since May 2021. He resides in Laval and has numerous friends and family ties in Quebec," says the Bolo writeup on him, distributed nationally.

"Anyone assisting Charbonneau in evading arrest may be considered an accessory after the fact and face charges."

He's described as five foot seven and 176 pounds, with dark brown hair and blue eyes.

He may be wearing earrings and has a small tattoo with Chinese characters on his right shoulder.

More photos are available on Bolo's web page about him.

The $50,000 reward can be claimed anonymously and is available until July 12, 2022. Tips can also be submitted anonymously, to confidentially, to the Sûreté du Québec at 1-800 659-GANG (4264) or by email at [e-mail].

Quebec's Integrated Pimping Squad is handling the case. It's made up of specialist officers from police forces across the province.