Daniel Lacasse was one of three coaches arrested in 2022 after allegations emerged from École secondaire St-Laurent.
The trial of one of the three basketball coaches arrested by Montreal police after allegations of sexual abuse at a high school in the St-Laurent borough emerged two years ago began at the Montreal courthouse on Tuesday.
Daniel Lacasse, 45, of Montreal is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor over whom he was in a position of trust or authority. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 14 years.
He was the head of École secondaire St-Laurent’s basketball program and an administrator at the school when he was arrested early in 2022.
Prosecutor Jérôme Laflamme began the proceedings by informing Quebec Court Judge Alexandre Dalmau that the Crown’s case will be primarily based on the testimony of the complainant, who was a minor at the time and is now over 18. A standard publication ban has been placed on the trial to protect the young woman’s identity.
Two other coaches at the same school — Charles Xavier Boislard, 47, of Brossard, and Robert Luu, 34, of Laval — were charged at the same time as Lacasse. They each face multiple charges, including sexual assault. Boislard’s trial is set to begin in November and Luu’s is scheduled to start in January.