Quebec clergy member pleads guilty, sentenced to three-and-a-half years for sex crimes against children
A Quebec clergy member pleaded guilty Wednesday morning to sexually abusing 12 students from the College Bourget boarding school in Rigaud where he was a supervisor during the 1980s.
Jean Pilon, a member of the Clerics of St-Viateur, was sentenced to three-and-a-half-years after the guilty plea at the Valleyfield Courthouse, outside of Montreal.
The hearing was an emotional one as eight of his victims took the stand to tell the court how his abuse caused a lifetime of anxiety, depression, and shame.
"It's hard to keep, it's a big — in French, 'un gros moton sur le coeur' — but you have to overcome all these events, and become a better person every day," said Brian Ford, one of the victims.
When it was Pilon's turn to take the stand, he offered an apology and told the court he was "demolished inside" after hearing about the victims' suffering. Jeers could be heard from the courtroom, while others simply walked out not wanting to hear any more.
The Surete du Quebec arrested Pilon in June 2020, when he was 78, along with four other congregation members in connection with sex crimes against young boys and girls that allegedly took place between 1961 and 1989.
The men were responsible for teaching children in several Quebec schools.
Prosecutor Mylene Brown said it was "important" that Pilon pleaded guilty for all the victims in his case. The three-and-a-half-year sentence was agreed upon between the prosecution and defence, which the judge accepted.
The guilty plea does not bring the case for Pilon to an end. A class action lawsuit is still underway, alleging the entire congregation of St-Viateur knew what was going on, but did nothing about it.
Lawyers representing the victims in the lawsuit say a settlement is in the works, with more than 300 people allegedly being identified as defendants.
With files from CTV News Montreal's Stephane Giroux
Correction
A statement from lawyers for the class action lawsuit referred to Jean Pilon as a priest, but he was in fact a member of the clergy. CTV has updated the article to reflect the correction.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
BREAKING Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.