Kelowna jury hears closing arguments in equestrian sex trial
Crown says texts and photos support allegations that the coach’s sexual conduct began before the student turned 18, while the defence disputes the timing.
- On Monday, a Kelowna jury began deliberations in the trial of equestrian coach Sebastien Devrainne following a weeklong B.C. Supreme Court proceeding on charges of sexual exploitation and luring a child.
- Allegations involve a former student and date back more than a decade, with jurors determining whether any sexual relationship began while she was a child or after she reached the age of consent.
- Crown counsel Jordan Schroeder argued the relationship was exploitative, telling jurors to assess credibility using "human experience, common sense, and the witness" testimony, which he claimed demonstrated a "ring of truth."
- Defence lawyer Bryan Fitzpatrick countered Monday that the Crown failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that any sexual relationship began while the student was underage, highlighting inconsistencies in her timeline.
- Devrainne, 38, faces charges including sexual exploitation, luring, and making sexually explicit material available to a minor. He has remained under a court-ordered communication ban with anyone under 18 since his 2023 arrest.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Kelowna riding coach found guilty of sex crimes, child luring - Grand Forks Gazette
A Kelowna equestrian coach has been found guilty of luring a child for a sexual purpose after a jury returned its verdict on Monday evening. Sebastien Devrainne, originally from France, was found guilty in B.C. Supreme Court of sexual assault, sexual exploitation, and making sexual materials available to a minor after a week-long trial in Kelowna before Justice Chan and a jury. The jury rejected the defence’s argument that the Crown failed to pr…
Kelowna riding coach’s fate left to jury for alleged sex crimes, child luring - Creston Valley Advance
The fate of a Kelowna equestrian coach is in the hands of a jury as submissions in the trial for sexual touching, sexual assault, and child luring came to a close on June 29. Sebastien Devrainne, originally from France, has spent the past week sitting in a Kelowna, B.C. Supreme Court for alleged crimes against a former student dating back more than a decade. Defence lawyers argued that there has been no evidence to prove that a sexual relationsh…
Kelowna riding coach’s fate left to jury for alleged sex crimes, child luring - Fort St. James Caledonia Courier
The fate of a Kelowna equestrian coach is in the hands of a jury as submissions in the trial for sexual touching, sexual assault, and child luring came to a close on June 29. Sebastien Devrainne, originally from France, has spent the past week sitting in a Kelowna, B.C. Supreme Court for alleged crimes against a former student dating back more than a decade. Defence lawyers argued that there has been no evidence to prove that a sexual relationsh…
Kelowna riding coach’s fate left to jury for alleged sex crimes, child luring - Vanderhoof Omineca Express
The fate of a Kelowna equestrian coach is in the hands of a jury as submissions in the trial for sexual touching, sexual assault, and child luring came to a close on June 29. Sebastien Devrainne, originally from France, has spent the past week sitting in a Kelowna, B.C. Supreme Court for alleged crimes against a former student dating back more than a decade. Defence lawyers argued that there has been no evidence to prove that a sexual relationsh…
Kelowna riding coach’s fate left to jury for alleged sex crimes, child luring - Northern Sentinel
The fate of a Kelowna equestrian coach is in the hands of a jury as submissions in the trial for sexual touching, sexual assault, and child luring came to a close on June 29. Sebastien Devrainne, originally from France, has spent the past week sitting in a Kelowna, B.C. Supreme Court for alleged crimes against a former student dating back more than a decade. Defence lawyers argued that there has been no evidence to prove that a sexual relationsh…
Kelowna jury hears closing arguments in equestrian sex trial
A jury of four women and eight men are set to consider whether a Kelowna equestrian coach began a sexual relationship with one of his students after she had reached the age of consent, as he maintains, or while she was still a child, as alleged by the Crown. Sebastien Devrainne, 38, is on trial for ...
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