He was 30 years old but pretended to be 16. Through this crude ruse, a sex offender was able to lure a very vulnerable 13-year-old and repeatedly sexually assault him. Styve Chouinard also attracted many young people to social networks and skate parks.
Published at 12:30 p.m.
The 32-year-old man pleaded guilty last Friday in the Longueuil court to numerous counts of incitement and incitement to sexual contact. The five victims are boys between the ages of 11 and 14. Last summer he also admitted his guilt in connection with sexual contact with a minor and in connection with child pornography.
Styve Chouinard behaved like a real predator, both on social media and in person. In the summer of 2022, he met a “very vulnerable” 13-year-old in the supermarket. The boy suffers from dyspraxia and ADHD and cannot read or write. Easy prey for repeat offenders. In fact, he was forbidden to communicate with young people at that time.
Using the false name Steve Prévost, he began meeting the young man after school. He tells him he is 20 years old, but pretends to be 16 to the young man's mother. Styve Chouinard lures the boy by building a “hut” with him behind a shed. They drink beer there.
In this “hut” he sexually assaulted the boy several times. It's about full-fledged sexual relationships, sometimes without a condom. In early July, the victim's mother practically caught the attacker in the act. She angrily orders him to leave unless he can prove that he is really 16 years old. He was arrested a few days later.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE LONGUEUIL AGGLOMERATION POLICE
Styve Chouinard
The investigators then discovered dirty images of child pornography on his cell phone, which mainly showed boys between the ages of 8 and 14, but also six-month-old babies. It contains 1598 photos and 612 videos.
Chouinard is found to have produced child pornography by masturbating while chatting with a 10-year-old child on the Snapchat application. The investigation lifted the veil on a real cybercriminal on social networks. He presents himself as a young homosexual teenager and tries to convince young people to “become gay”.
Styve Chouinard often sends victims photos of his penis or masturbates during a video call. He also asks his victims for photos of their private parts. His obsession: making a “sleep call.” However, what this is about cannot be explained from the facts presented in court.
At one point, Chouinard, who claims to be 15 years old, offers to follow his 14-year-old victim to the skate park. When the teenager arrives, he sees a young man with his arms and legs fully tattooed and a case of beer in his hand. Styve Chouinard then claims to be the older brother of the young person's virtual interlocutor.
On several occasions, Styve Chouinard says that he is in love with his victims. In particular, he admits to having “feelings that he cannot control” to a young teenager he met at a skate park in Saint-Jérôme. However, the young person finds him persistent. Another time, Chouinard asked a 13-year-old to “go out with him.”
The statement on the verdict is scheduled for next May. Me Anne Gauvin represents the prosecutor, while Me Rémi Quintal defends the perpetrator.