Former Montreal hockey coach sentenced 1 year for secretly filming minors in bathroom

The Quebec Superior Court is seen in Montreal, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

A former lawyer and ex-hockey coach who filmed minors with a hidden camera in the bathroom of his Quebec cottage was sentenced Thursday to one year behind bars.

Samuel Beaugé-Malenfant, 29, was arrested in 2018 in Boucherville, on Montreal's South Shore, after an investigation by Quebec provincial police.

Quebec Court Justice Érick Vanchenstein sentenced him Thursday after he pleaded guilty last year to one count of producing child pornography and one count of voyeurism.

The Crown was seeking a jail term of 30 months, while the defence sought a 90-day sentence to be served on weekends and three years of probation.

According to an agreed statement of facts, Beaugé-Malenfant had installed a spy camera inside an alarm clock in the bathroom of his aunt's cottage. He had invited a couple and their three children, aged 17, 13, and 11, to the cottage in August 2018 and had instructed them to use the upstairs bathroom since the toilet in the basement was broken.

A parent of the children — some of whom were players he had coached — discovered the hidden camera, which was positioned in such a way that it allowed the children to be filmed when using the toilet.

The family immediately contacted the police, who later found 34 videos following an inspection. 

'WE LIVE IN A CRUEL WORLD,' VICTIM TELLS COURT

In court, the parents described the immense guilt they felt for not protecting their kids from a man they had trusted for four years. They said the ordeal was a "nightmare."

"I still blame myself today and I will never be able to forgive myself," one of the parents testified.

"We felt angry and guilty about what we have done to our children. We have not been able to protect them as a parent is supposed to," the parents told the court.

"First, I felt guilty for bringing the accused into our family and circle of friends. I still find it hard to believe what happened. I really liked the accused and thought he was a good person. One of the reasons he gained my trust was because he had things in common with me. After this event, I became angry when I thought of all the times he could have potentially filmed or assaulted my children or my friends' children. I lost judgment and my self-esteem took a hit.

I avoided going into arenas for a long time so I wouldn't have to face the parents who all knew about our history. I was ashamed that I couldn't protect the young field hockey players that the defendant was around because of me."

One of the teen victims testified about the pain the former coach inflicted on his family.

"We live in a cruel world and people like Sam are one of the reasons for that," he said.

RISK OF REOFFENDING 

A pre-sentence report described Beaugé-Malenfant as someone who struggled to accept being gay under the pressures of the "macho" hockey world. After resigning from the Quebec bar, he lost his job as a lawyer but has since found work in the legal field.

A psychologist who assessed him concluded that the risk of reoffending is "above the average," but that the risk would be lower through continued therapy, according to a pre-sentence report. 

The judge also imposed three years of probation and 150 hours of community service after Beaugé-Malenfant completes his sentence.

He is also prohibited for the next 10 years from being in a public park, public swimming pool, daycare, or playground where people under the age of 16 ought to be present.

During that period, he is also not allowed to be within two kilometres of the victims' homes; to get a job or volunteer position where he would be in a position of authority over someone under 16; to have contact with someone under 16 unless under the supervision of someone who is aware of his charges.