Former bus driver pleads guilty after years of sexual offences with teen girl
Warning: This story contains descriptions of sexual offences
A former bus driver who sexually exploited and abused a teenage girl for half a decade pleaded guilty to multiple sexual offences on Monday in a Quebec courthouse.
According to a joint statement of facts, the 30-year-old victim met Pierre Lafontaine, 70, when he was her bus driver and she was in Grade 7. The two spoke regularly for three years.
"She considered him a friend and confidant," the court document reads.
When the victim, then aged 15, changed schools in Grade 9, the 55-year-old man suggested they exchange numbers, which she agreed to.
"At the time, G.B. was going through a difficult period in her life and was vulnerable. She was suffering from eating disorders and self-mutilation," the document reads. "The accused knew this."
Lafontaine then asked to meet the victim at Champlain Mall in Brossard, Que., picked her up and started kissing her when parked. She "froze," according to the facts.
The interactions intensified after the initial meeting with Lafontaine, picking her up at lunchtime two to three times a week and engaging in oral sex with the teenage girl.
The court document mentioned that she had no sexual experience at the time and "pretended to feel pleasure," but wished "it would stop."
"The accused tells her that if she talks about what they are doing, she will destroy his life. G.B. sees him as her only source of comfort," the document reads.
Lafontaine had unprotected sex with the girl four months after the meeting at Champlain Mall with the victim said she "was in pain and felt dirty."
The lunchtime meetings continued with "various sexual contacts" that became "intense and degrading," and evening online chats involving webcam shows and explicit conversations continued at the same time.
The relationship lasted for over five years.
The victim eventually sought help from a psychologist and realized that her experiences were not normal.
"At all times, the accused was fully aware of G.B.'s age and went to great lengths when introducing her [to other people] not to say her real age or even her name," the document reads, adding he used a nickname when referring to her.
In pleading guilty to sexual exploitation, Lafontaine acknowledges he was in a position of authority over the teenage girl and that she depended on him and was being exploited.
Lafontaine pleaded guilty to several sexual offences, including sexual touching, exploitation, and other charges.
His sentencing date is scheduled for Sept. 4.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with Maple Leafs, dead at 79
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and was a member of Canada's team at the 1972 Summit Series, has died at age 79.
Fort Nelson, B.C., wildfire doubles in size as 3,000-plus ordered to evacuate
The wildfire that sparked Friday and caused evacuation orders for more than 3,000 people in Fort Nelson, B.C., and the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has grown to nearly 1,700 hectares in size, according to a Saturday morning update from the BC Wildfire Service.
Eurovision Song Contest final kicks off after protests, backstage chaos and a contestant's expulsion
The final of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest kicked off Saturday in the Swedish city of Malmo after days of protests and offstage drama that have tipped the feelgood musical celebration into a chaotic pressure cooker overshadowed by the war in Gaza.
IN PICTURES Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Grand Bend, Collingwood and Guelph, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Haitians demand the resignation and arrest of the country's police chief after a new gang attack
A growing number of civilians and police officers are demanding the dismissal and arrest of Haiti's police chief as heavily armed gangs launched a new attack in the capital of Port-au-Prince, seizing control of yet another police station early Saturday.