HALIFAX – A Nova Scotia volleyball coach who preyed upon a 17-year-old girl is going to jail for four years.
Judge Pam Williams said in provincial court Friday that Joseph (Luc) Potvin had caused lasting damage to his victim.
“In one sense, Mr. Potvin, you’ve killed a part of (the victim) – her innocence, her trusting nature, her youth,” Williams said at Potvin’s sentencing hearing in Halifax.
The 54-year-old pleaded guilty in July to sexual assault, sexual exploitation, luring a child and making or publishing child pornography.
He was administrator of the Metro Lakers volleyball club and head coach of the Prince Andrew High School girls team when he committed the offences between Feb 28, 2010, and May of this year.
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On May 13, police arrested Potvin at his Portland Hills Drive home and he remained in custody until May 24, when he posted $5,000 cash bail and pledged $45,000 worth of property.
The court heard that Potvin was living in New Brunswick while awaiting sentencing.
In 2007, Potvin received a pardon for a 1999 conviction for sexually assaulting a teenage girl.
He was placed on probation for three years and completed a treatment program for sexual offenders. The pardon was revoked after the new charges were laid.
A defence-hired forensic psychologist told the court that in spite of the previous conviction and extremely active libido, Potvin is considered to be a low to moderate risk to reoffend.
The victim in the recent case cannot be identified, but said in a statement to the court that Potvin’s abuse took away her self-esteem, caused anxiety and depression, triggered an eating disorder and affected her grades through missed time at school.
The abuse destroyed one year of her life “and is sure to ruin more days,” she said.
Crown attorney Rick Hartlen sought a prison term of three to five years, while defence lawyer Brian Casey had asked for a two-year term followed by a probation that would require Potvin to receive sex offender treatment.
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