Man who lured babysitters on Facebook gets 12 years in prison for assault of 14-year-old
Court heard Gabriel Giguère, who assaulted teen at knifepoint, tried to contact other girls through Facebook
A judge has sentenced a 25-year-old Longueuil man to 12 years in prison for luring a prospective babysitter to his home using Facebook, then sexually assaulting her at knifepoint.
Gabriel Giguère pleaded guilty last January to several charges, including sexual assault with a weapon, forcible confinement, production of child pornography and internet luring.
Giguère not only assaulted the 14-year-old victim, he filmed the assaults and threatened to post the images online.
Potential babysitting job turns to nightmare
In May 2017, Giguère went on Facebook using the pseudonym Mark Lambert, saying he was looking for a babysitter.
The 14-year-old victim responded to his post, and Giguère told her to meet him at his house that evening, saying the meeting would be with his wife.
Instead, it was Giguère who met the girl outside of his home on Dollard Street in Longueuil.
Giguère pulled a knife on the victim and forced her into the backyard.
Once there he sexually assaulted her, all the while taking photos and videos of the assault on his cellphone.
When the attack was over, Giguère warned the victim not to tell anyone what happened, threatening to post the videos online if she did.
Undaunted, the victim reported the attack to police that same night, and Giguère was arrested the next day.
Likely to re-offend
Quebec court Judge Maurice Galarneau, who sentenced Giguère last week, noted that the assailant told investigators he believed the victim enjoyed the attack.
Evidence presented in court showed Giguère had tried to lure other young victims in the same fashion, without success.
In his decision, Galarneau underscored how serious the internet luring was in this case, as it was clear Giguère planned the attack with the intention to sexually assault his victim.
A psychiatric report submitted to the court suggested Giguère was a sexual sadist who was likely to re-offend.
The judgment also noted that the attack had been devastating for Giguère's victim. She has lost weight, has trouble sleeping, is taking antidepressants and is afraid to leave her home alone.
Giguère's lawyer, Clara Daviault, had argued for a six-year sentence. She said she would study the judgment carefully and may file an appeal.
She said the fact that Giguère's youth, as well as the fact he had used drugs the night of the attack and pleaded guilty could be considered mitigating factors when it came to her client's sentencing.
With files from Radio-Canada's Geneviève Garon