A South Shore man who was found guilty of indecent exposure in front of children in Montreal was able to avoid a jail sentence Wednesday -- even if the court finds that he is at a high risk to reoffend.
Marc-Andre Meunier, 36, was arrested in summer 2013 for indecent exposure in the RDP/Pointe-aux-Trembles borough.
According to police, he parked his car on a quiet residential street, and exposed himself to a group of 10-year-old girls walking by. He then invited one of them to climb into his car.
One of the young girls who saw what Meunier was doing in his car reacted quickly and memorized his licence plate number. The girl told her parents who then called police
Meunier pleaded guilty this summer to charges of indecent exposure. The maximum sentence is two years in jail. Meunier, however, has no prior record.
He has not fully admitted he has a problem, and psychological assessments claim a medium to high risk of reoffending.
The judge ruled in favour of the agreed-upon sentence of one year to be served in the community, meaning he is under house arrest and not serving his time in prison.
“People shouldn't worry,” prosecutor Sylvie Lemieux said.
Meunier will be forced to stay at home 24 hours a day during the first six months and is not allowed anywhere near children.
The defence says the sentence is fair.
“There were pre-sentencing reports that were submitted, and the judge went along with the conclusions,” said defence lawyer Elizabeth Menard.
Meunier is facing similar charges in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu. If he's found guilty there, it is likely he will end up behind bars.
