Police searching for 1990s sex assault victims of onetime high-level Raelian
A onetime well-known member of the "Raelian" cult is facing a charge of sexual assault in a case dating back to the 90s, and Montreal police are now asking other potential victims to come forward.
Bobby Potvin, also known as "Lear," appeared in court on July 26, police said.
They provided no further details about the accusations in a news release Monday but said they're looking into "a sexual assault case that occurred in the 1990s."
"Lear" is "Raël" backwards, some Rael-watchers have pointed out. Potvin, now 57, was a high-profile member of the cult for years, telling the Globe and Mail in 2001 that he was the right-hand man to Raël, the cult leader, and was officially also a Raelian "bishop" and "continental head" for North America.
Montreal police didn't mention Raelians in the release, however, and told CTV they are simply looking for potential victims, regardless of the context where they met Potvin.
"We're looking at victims around this man," said Montreal police spokesperson Raphael Bergeron.
"It's not an investigation around this movement or anything."
Potvin told The Globe and Mail that he became a Raelian at age 14 after a neighbour in his hometown gave him a copy of Rael's first book, The Message Given by Extra-Terrestrials.
Raelians believe that aliens put humans on Earth as an experiment, and that cloning is the key to immortality.
It's clear from Potvin's media interviews that he was a member of the group through the 1990s, the same era that Montreal police are looking into.
The cult used to have tens of thousands of members worldwide and was based in Quebec. The Raelians largely dropped out of the public eye after the early 2000s, but they do still exist, VICE News reported last year.
It's unclear if Potvin is still connected to the group. In 2019, French-language news outlet QMI interviewed a man by the same name and nickname about his battle, as a landlord, to exterminate bedbugs and cockroaches.
He said he owned 60 buildings in Montreal, more specifically in the neighbourhoods of Saint-Laurent, Villeray, Saint-Michel and Hochelaga, and that he had been a landlord for at least 15 years, meaning dating back at least to 2004 at that point.
He even got an exterminator's licence in order to keep down the costs of pest-fighting, he said at the time. He called his new business "Zen Extermination," saying it was a nod to how he was trying to make life more peaceful for his tenants.
Potvin is six feet tall, 230 pounds, has blue eyes and brown hair. He speaks French.
Police are asking anyone who might have been victimized by him to go to their local police station or to directly call the sexual assault unit of Montreal police at 514-280-8502.
People may also make anonymous, confidential calls to Info-Crime Montréal at 514 393-1133 or online at infocrimemontreal.ca.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it four NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.