A former basketball coach at a St-Laurent high school has been sentenced to a four-year prison term for sexually exploiting a teenage player, concluding a case that exposed a disturbing abuse of trust within a school sports program.
Guilty Plea and Details of the Offence
Charles-Xavier Boislard, 47, pleaded guilty in 2024 to one count of sexual exploitation involving a person aged 16 or 17 where a power imbalance existed. The charge stems from his relationship with a player, Shebeka Taylor, which began when she was 16 years old. Boislard admitted that the sexual relationship started in 2012, when he was 31, and continued for approximately a year.
While the age of consent in Canada is 16, the criminal charge applies specifically when an adult holds a position of authority, trust, or dependency over the young person. Quebec Court Judge Éric de Champlain noted that Taylor was in a vulnerable position due to her family's precarious financial situation when the abuse began.
Victim Impact and Legal Proceedings
During sentencing arguments in October, Taylor told the court that her former coach had stolen her innocence. The judge considered this profound impact in his decision. The Crown prosecutor, Jérôme Laflamme, had sought a five-year prison term for Boislard.
In a related civil action, Taylor filed a $3.2-million lawsuit last year against Boislard, another coach named Daniel Lacasse, and the school board overseeing École secondaire St-Laurent. She also chose to have a publication ban on her identity lifted, allowing her name to be reported.
Broader Context of the Case
Boislard was one of three basketball coaches charged four years ago following allegations of sexual abuse from former students at the St-Laurent high school. The case against Daniel Lacasse, where Taylor was also the complainant, resulted in an acquittal last year.
A third coach, Robert Luu, 35, of Laval, was convicted on December 12, 2024, of sexually assaulting a different student at the same school. His case is scheduled to enter the sentencing phase in March 2025.
This sentencing brings a measure of legal closure to one part of a scandal that has shaken a Montreal-area school community, underscoring the critical need for safeguards and accountability in youth sports programs.
