Photo: Facebook - Sebastien Devrainne
A Kelowna equestrian coach is facing a handful of sexual charges, including allegations of offences against a young person, more than four months after he's believed to have first been arrested.
On Tuesday, six criminal charges were laid against Sebastien Benoit Devrainne, including sexual exploitation, luring a child, and making sexually explicit material available to a child, along with three counts of sexual assault.
The allegations date back more than a decade.
Devrainne appears to operate Devrainne Performance Horses, an equestrian coaching and development company which operates out of the Gemstones Acres facility on Kelowna's Curtis Road, southwest of UBC Okanagan.
According to a post on the company's Facebook page, Devrainne was approved as a “Licensed coach” with Equestrian Canada last May. Castanet reached out to Equestrian Canada to see if they were aware of the charges Devrainne now faces, but the organization did not respond by publication time.
Equestrian Canada's website lists Devrainne's show jumping competition results dating back to 2011, with his most recent results coming this past September.
While the website for Devrainne Performance Horses is no longer active, the company last posted on its Facebook page in October.
Back in November, the Kelowna RCMP Sex Crimes Unit announced they had arrested a “prominent member of the local equestrian community” for allegations of sexual assault and sexual exploitation. The accused, who police didn't name, had been released on conditions not to have contact with anyone under 18.
Police said the accused had been “involved in the equestrian community for a number of years” and investigators believed there may be have been additional alleged victims involved.
According to the charges laid this week, police have identified four alleged victims. Any information that could identify them is protected under a publication ban.
Devrainne is not currently in custody. He's scheduled to make his first appearance in Kelowna court on April 23.
Castanet contacted Devrainne about the recent charges, but he did not return a voicemail by publication time.
The charges come amidst another local scandal involving a Kelowna equestrian centre and allegations of sexual assault. Back in February, convicted child predator Taylor Dueck was charged with allegedly assaulting a child in the bathroom of a local equestrian facility while he was out on probation.
The owner of that equestrian facility said she was not made aware of Dueck's long criminal history prior to the alleged assault on her property. Dueck remains in custody after he was denied bail earlier this month.
