Former B.C. youth support worker found guilty of sexually assaulting boy, 14, in government care

WARNING: This article includes details of sexual assault against a child.

A former youth support worker has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy in B.C. government care.

Matthew Arlen Porcher, now 23, worked for IDM Services Inc. from the fall of 2021 to April 2022 when he was 20 or 21, according to a B.C. Supreme Court decision made public last week.

IDM operates group homes in the Greater Victoria area for children and teens "who have needs that cannot be addressed in ordinary foster homes" on behalf of the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD), the decision said.

The boy testified that Porcher, who had ambitions of being a police officer, touched his penis, testicles and buttocks while the boy was thought to be sleeping.

The court decision lays out details of a months-long inappropriate relationship between the worker and the boy, in violation of employer policies.

It also reveals that the assault occurred on the same day Porcher was ordered to tell the boy they needed to be separated because of concerns over their relationship.

Minister of Children and Family Development Jodie Wickens was not available for an interview. In a statement, the ministry said, "nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of the children and youth that we care for and serve and this case is deeply upsetting."

"We are working to ensure children, youth and families are receiving the supports they need through the ministry. All ministry staff, partners, and agencies absolutely must do everything in their power to keep children and youth safe."

It added that it will continue to make improvements that "put the safety and wellbeing of children and youth in care at the centre of our work."

IDM did not respond to requests for comment from CBC News. Porcher's lawyer declined to comment.

Close relationship, then massages

Porcher's role as a support worker involved making meals, waking up children and teens to encourage them to get to school, taking them to appointments, addressing any problems that might emerge and putting them to bed, court heard.

Porcher worked closely with the boy during his time at the care home. At some point, Porcher began giving the boy massages in his bedroom.

"The accused knew these back massages were against IDM policy. He hid them from other staff members," wrote Justice Gareth Morley.

IDM's policy states that support workers should not touch children in care except to the extent appropriate for emotional support. For example, if a child initiated a hug, then workers could reciprocate, but any contact beyond that was not allowed, court heard.

Porcher also breached other company policies. He was warned twice by his employer for staying longer at the home than he was supposed to.

He also "roughhoused" with the boy while his shirt was off, court heard, and messaged the boy on Snapchat on his personal phone, in violation of company rules.

Porcher also convinced the boy to break curfew and meet him in his car at a nearby park twice, court heard.

Mandated break

By April 2022, Porcher and the boy's relationship "caused concern" to IDM, court heard. Porcher's supervisor told him he needed to take a break from working with the boy for three to six months.

But IDM told Porcher he could meet the boy for two hours to tell him about the separation. 

"IDM had a concern that, because there are emotional relationships between residential support workers and youth that are in care, it is important that these be handled appropriately," the judge said.

That's when the sexual assault happened.

Porcher put the boy to bed around 2 a.m., court heard, and the worker gave him a back massage for about five minutes.

The boy said when Porcher thought he was asleep, he began touching him.

"After enduring this out of fear for what he estimates to be 20 minutes, [the boy] pretended to wake up again," Morley said.

'A practised liar and manipulator' 

The boy said Porcher tried to get him to go back to sleep, but he would not. Porcher then left, according to the decision.

Without going into detail or exposing that it was Porcher, the boy reported the incident to another worker.

Court heard that Porcher read the incident report and then sent a Snapchat message to the boy that said: "I didn't do that for me …  you were having a really tough day. Thought it would be what you wanted."

The boy then got a barrage of phone calls and messages from Porcher asking to meet at a park. The boy called the RCMP, who arrived at the park and began their investigation.

Porcher "emphatically denied" touching the boy sexually during his testimony. He said he reached out to the boy to inquire about which employee assaulted him.

Morley said he found Porcher's testimony to be "inconsistent" and "self-serving." He said he lied about his intentions in sending the messages and about his breaches of his employer's rules.

"I am persuaded he is a practised liar and manipulator," Morley wrote.

"I, therefore, cannot give his testimony denying the alleged assault any weight at all. I not only do not believe it, I know not to believe it, and I reject it as not capable of giving rise to a reasonable doubt."

Porcher is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 21.

For anyone who has been sexually assaulted, there is support available through crisis lines and local support services via the Ending Violence Association of Canada database.

For anyone affected by family or intimate partner violence, there is support available through crisis lines and local support services.

If you're in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.