Former Montreal North mayor Gilles Deguire has pleaded guilty to sexual touching of a minor.
Deguire, 67, was arrested last January and charged with sexual assault and sexually touching a girl under the age of 16.
By changing his plea Thursday morning, the second charge against him of sexual assault was dropped.
“The charges carried the same weight,” said Crown prosecutor Louise Blais.
The ordeal took place over a two-year period from December 2013 to October 2015.
The plea deal means there will be no trial and the teenager will be spared from having to testify in court.
“This is both in the interest of the victim and in the interests of society. We mustn’t forget that the victim now won’t have to testify,” said Blais.
Deguire left the courtroom moments after changing his plea, accompanied by one of his lawyers. Both walked past reporters without answering questions.
Deguire stepped down as mayor of Montreal North eleven months ago amid a police investigation.
There have been indications that he would change his plea to guilty: In October, he waived his right to a preliminary hearing, a process that determines if there's enough evidence to go to trial.
He will face a sentence hearing March 24 and a criminologist will help determine an appropriate sentence in this case.
Blais said sentencing can range from between three and eighteen months.
The former borough mayor served as a police officer for 30 years and a political attaché for a decade before becoming borough mayor of Montreal North in 2009.
