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Jean-Philippe Chaussé Faces 17 Sex Crime Charges: SPVG is Looking for More Victims
Gatineau, May 10, 2021. – On May 5, just after 2 p.m., the Service de police de la Ville de Gatineau (SPVG) arrested Jean-Philippe Chaussé in connection with a sexual assault investigation. To date, six victims have filed complaints against the individual, and the investigators fear there may be more.
Quick facts
| ● | Jean-Philippe Chaussé, a 27-year-old Gatineau resident, is facing multiple sexual assault charges:
- Sexual assault (1 charge);
- Sexual assault with a weapon (3 charges);
- Breaking and entering with the intent of committing a sexual assault (1 charge);
- Sexual assault of a child under 16 (3 charges);
- Sexual assault causing bodily harm (2 charges);
- Sequestration (1 accusation);
- Production of child pornography (2 charges)
- Distribution of child pornography (1 charge)
- Made available intimate images (3 charges). |
| ● | The investigation started in response to a complaint about a sexual assault dating back to 2017. In the course of the investigation, thanks to expert analyses, police were able to identify more victims, who decided to file complaints. |
| ● | The investigators discovered various pieces of evidence, including intimate photos and videos suggesting that there are more victims who have not yet been identified by the police. |
| ● | Even though the alleged sexual assaults were committed between 2012 and 2017, it is not impossible that additional assaults were committed at other times. Some of the victims are minors, some are adults. |
| ● | Many of the victims allegedly met Jean-Philippe Chaussé through Héberge-Ados, an organization that has offered its full collaboration to SPVG for this investigation. |
| ● | Jean-Philippe Chaussé has been a military reservist since July 2020. |
| ● | The accused has spent time in different areas, and could have left victims in different locations. |
| ● | He has been in detention since his arrest. |
| ● | The investigation continues. Anyone who believes that they may have been a victim of the accused or with information related to this investigation can contact the SPVG info line at 819-243-4636, option 5. |
Modus operandi | ● | The modus operandi was the same for five of the six known victims: Jean-Philippe Chaussé allegedly met his victims through the Héberge-Ados de Gatineau NGO, where he volunteered as an adult after receiving their services when he was a teen. |
| ● | He allegedly engaged in romantic relationships with girls who were minors. Once the relationship of trust was established, he allegedly had sexual relations with the teens. |
| ● | In some of the cases, the victims had not reached the age of consent for sexual relations because of their young age. |
| ● | During those sexual relations, the accused allegedly exceeded the limits to which they had consented, and forced his victims to engage in acts to which they had not consented. Some of the assaults resulted in bodily harm, and others involved weapons. |
Message to the victims | ● | The psychology and manipulation involved in this kind of assault is far-reaching, and may make it difficult for a victim to talk about it or to report it. SPVG wants to reassure the victims that their wish to officially file a complaint or not will always be respected. Victims are the focus of police investigations. |
| ● | When victims develop romantic feelings for a person who later abuses them, it is all the more upsetting for the victims to talk about the sexual assault or to file a complaint. |
| ● | It is important to remember that consent to sexual relations can be withdrawn at any time. |
| ● | Consenting to sexual relations does not entitle the partner to exceed limits and pursue the act when the victim asks that it stop. Romantic feelings cannot ever be used to justify such encounters when they constitute sexual assault. |
Investigating serial crimes | ● | Pursuant to the Police Act, SPVG informed the Sûreté du Québec that several sexual assault cases in its territory could be connected, and that there may be more victims. |
| ● | Because many victims were identified, the serial crime investigation management structure (GECS) coordinated by the Sûreté du Québec was deployed. GECS is a unified command structure to which all Quebec police forces adhere in partnership to quickly identify crimes committed by predators and to arrest them. This province-wide coordination provides the opportunity to share police resources, and to better protect the victims. |
| ● | The investigation is still being run by SPVG, in close collaboration with the Sûreté du Québec. |
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