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
'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.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
WHO likely to issue wider alert on contaminated cough syrup
The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children's cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in an email.
WATCH Video shows dramatic police takedown of carjacking suspects chased through parking lot north of Toronto
Police have released video footage of a dramatic takedown of a group of teens wanted in connection with an attempted carjacking in Markham earlier this month.
Canada, G7 urge 'all parties' to de-escalate in growing Mideast conflict
Canada called for 'all parties' to de-escalate rising tensions in the Mideast following an apparent Israeli drone attack against Iran overnight.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.