A voyeur from Châteauguay who had equipped himself with equipment such as a sports camera and a powerful telephoto lens in order to film his neighbors, often underage, even in the privacy of their bathroom, was sentenced Wednesday to three years of detention.
“His actions are disgusting and heinous. He interfered in the privacy of his victims, violated their privacy without scruple and digitally recorded scenes that satisfied him sexually, ”said Judge Serge Delisle, in sentencing Sylvain Desparois at the Longueuil courthouse.
The 52-year-old surveyor was convicted in March of possession and production of child pornography, voyeurism and indecent action.
For more than eight years, Desparois made considerable efforts, noted the magistrate, to observe and film neighbors in his residential building in Châteauguay, in the Montérégie region.
To succeed in filming them in their bathroom or their bedroom, he had equipped himself in particular with a sports camera and a pole.
Desparois also used an “extremely powerful” telephoto lens to observe children and women in swimsuits having fun in the water games in the park, in front of his home.
Fear of being assaulted
A teenage girl who was watched without her knowing in her privacy by the voyeur told the court that she constantly doubts her safety in addition to having suffered from nausea and insomnia.
“She is suspicious of men and is afraid of being assaulted or raped. Since the offenses were committed while she was in her room, she no longer has peace of mind, ”recalled the magistrate.
The man claimed many other lives, not all of whom could be identified. There are dozens, even hundreds, of the events filmed.
A neighbor had also surprised Desparois in the middle of a masturbation session on the grounds of their building.
High risk of recurrence
Judge Deslisle considers the voyeur’s risk of recidivism to be high, in particular “since he minimizes his guilt”.
During sentencing submissions, Desparois’ lawyer argued that his client did not realize he was causing victims.
“This is not a victimless crime. The impact on society when people’s privacy is invaded is obvious, ”said the magistrate.
During his testimony, Desparois had also maintained that by observing people with his telephoto lens, he was simply crunching moments of life. These words raised the magistrate’s eyebrows.
“He minimizes his actions, does not recognize the seriousness of these or the impact of his behavior on the victims,” he lamented in his judgment.
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