A Quebec sex tourist who repeatedly raped a Cuban child over a period of seven years with the complicity of his mother, in exchange for a roof and a pig, received a near record sentence of 15 years in prison .

“They used the child as an object, a sex toy, with no regard for his humanity. The particularly degrading actions of the offender [...] are a direct attack on human dignity, "said Judge Alexandre Dalmau before sentencing Alain Vandette yesterday at the Montreal courthouse.

Vandette, 59, is a Quebec trucker unable to find a girlfriend in Canada who turned to Cuba thinking he would have more success there.

And as for him "on vacation is not the same", he had taken it into his head to attack children.

That's how he met a destitute woman who cleaned toilets for 50 cents a day, whose 7-year-old daughter didn't even have a single toy.

Vandette then offered them shelter and food, including a pig.

"He says that the little victim saw him as a hero", lamented the judge, recalling that in return, he made the child his sex slave.

filmed

Thus, for 7 years, the pedophile sexually assaulted the child to satisfy his most twisted urges.

And very often, he filmed the whole thing while playing the director, giving precise instructions to the little one whom he dressed according to his desires.

“The offender produces the material in Cuba and brings it home [to Vaudreuil-Dorion], then returns to produce others,” explained the judge.

These crimes, which began in 2013, lasted about 7 years, until Vandette was arrested after he was caught for downloading child pornography. By searching his computer equipment, the police then discovered that he was also a pedophile rapist. Even though the crimes had been committed in Cuba, he could have been accused in Montreal since the law allows a Canadian to be prosecuted for crimes committed abroad.

The police were able to assess the duration of the crimes because of the videos where the child can be seen growing up to become a teenager. After describing these traumatic images, the judge praised the dedication of the police officers who had to analyze them.

"One can only salute the dedication of those willing to give up a part of themselves in order to save children...and ensure that the perpetrators of these crimes are brought to justice," he said. he says.

very severe sentence

Thus, the judge imposed 15 years in prison on Vandette, one of the most severe sentences ever handed down in this type of case.

The highest award goes to Sylvain Villemaire, a psychoeducator who bought an 8-year-old child in Africa to make her his sex slave in Montreal. He had been sentenced to 18 years behind bars in August 2021.

After wishing the best to the victim, Me Jérôme Laflamme of the Crown for his part recalled that "Canada has a long arm" and that justice will not hesitate to pursue pedophiles here, even if they commit their crimes elsewhere in the world.

“The sexual exploitation of children [...] by people from so-called “rich” countries represents a particularly despicable form of colonialism that must be denounced. »

“The child, as a sexual object, is the odious counterpart offered by the mother in this transaction where she obtains material comfort. »

“The victim is treated like an object. His protests are ignored. Violations of human dignity are serious. »

– Judge Alexandre Dalmau