A former Lorette, Man., teacher found guilty of repeatedly sexually abusing a child he got to know through the child’s mother, has been sentenced to eight years in prison after a judge dismissed an application made by his lawyer to reopen the trial.
Remi Dallaire, 34, was found guilty in September 2018 of sexual interference, inviting touching and making available sexually explicit material. A sexual assault charge was stayed.
The judge’s decision comes following a sentencing hearing last week.
In his decision, delivered Wednesday afternoon, Judge Ken Champagne told court, “The sexual abuse was repetitive, escalating and serious.
“She was an 8-year-old child. His treatment of the victim amounts to psychological manipulation.
“His conduct exceeds grooming and I find it to be predatory behaviour.”
During Dallaire’s trial, court heard the girl who was victimized was eight years old when she got to know him through her mother in June 2016.
The girl, who cannot be named due to a publication ban, testified she was sexually assaulted and inappropriately touched on more than one occasion and shown pornography when she spent time alone with Dallaire.
Dallaire hasn’t been employed with the Scolaire Franco-Manitobaine since the end of the 2015-2016 school year.
Dallaire received 15.5 months credit for time served, leaving six years and eight months on his eight-year sentence.
Dallaire’s lawyers wanted the judge reopen the trial based on fresh evidence, which court heard involved an inmate confessing to the crime Dallaire was found guilty of before the inmate later recanted his confession.
Champagne told court the confession of the inmate “is not reasonably capable of belief.”
The judge told court he strongly suspects Dallaire orchestrated the confession.
Dallaire’s lawyer has requested Dallaire serve his sentence in a federal institution in Atlantic Canada for family reasons.
At the end of the sentencing, Champagne made a recommendation the Correctional Service of Canada take that request into consideration.
