A former Montreal priest allegedly viewed content purported to be child pornography on public transit while serving his sentence for sexually assaulting two boys, according to a recent decision by the Parole Board of Canada (PBC).
The CLCC last week revoked the statutory release of 64-year-old Brian Boucher, stating that a series of incidents and new charges related to child pornography indicated a return to what it called a “criminal cycle.”
Boucher is serving an eight-year sentence for sexually assaulting two boys he met through his work as a priest. He had been living in a community correctional facility in Montreal since his statutory release in July 2024.
Authorities received a report last April indicating that Boucher had been seen viewing pornographic material, possibly child pornography, on public transport, according to the Commission’s decision.
Boucher was arrested on April 9 and charged in August with possession and viewing child pornography. He denied watching pornographic content on public transportation and told prison officers he was shocked by his arrest, as he felt his reintegration was going well.
The decision also mentions previous concerns regarding the former priest’s compliance with a special condition prohibiting him from any direct or indirect contact with his victims.
The CLCC indicated that correctional officers had received information that Boucher had been in the presence of relatives of one of the victims on several occasions while attending mass at a church in May and June 2025. It specified that he had made direct eye contact with at least one family member and had walked around the common areas, despite instructions from his care team.
At the end of 2025, the CLCC modified the conditions of the former clergyman’s release to order him to stay away from certain areas of the boroughs of Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, in Montreal, and the Town of Mount Royal, on the Island of Montreal.
When questioned about this, the Commission indicated that Brian Boucher denied the allegations and provided inconsistent explanations. He also admitted to having disobeyed the rules governing his participation in the mass at least once.
The commission added that Boucher continued to deny the offences for which he had been convicted and that he had made little progress, despite completing several programs for sex offenders.
In its decision, the CLCC determined that no intervention would have any effect on him and that he was incapable of recognizing a problem of sexual delinquency. The commission added that he showed no remorse or empathy towards his victims.
Boucher is eligible for statutory release before the end of his sentence, as provided by law, but he will be subject to stricter conditions, the CLCC said.
He will be required to reside in an approved residential facility with no right to leave and will be prohibited from accessing pornography, any contact with minors except in limited and approved circumstances, and from frequenting places where children are likely to gather.
He will only be allowed one mobile device or one SIM card unless otherwise authorized, and must allow his probation officer to inspect his phone, including his messages, photos, emails, social networks and browser history.
The commission also imposed geographical restrictions in certain Montreal neighborhoods to prevent the former priest from crossing paths with his victims or their families.
The case will be reviewed again by the court on November 23.
Boucher served in ten churches in the Montreal area between 1985 and 2015. He was officially removed from his priestly duties in 2020.
— with information from Morgan Lowrie, in Montreal
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
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