Lawyers for ex-national ski coach Bertrand Charest have argued in court their client should be released from prison pending an appeal of his conviction on sex crimes involving teenage girls.
READ MORE: Ex-ski coach Bertrand Charest sentenced to 12 years for sex-related crimes
Charest was found guilty last June of 37 of the 57 sex-related charges he was facing and a judge sentenced him to a 12-year prison term last week.
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His lawyers said in Quebec Court of Appeal Thursday they have serious grounds for appealing the guilty verdicts.
READ MORE:Ex-ski coach Bertrand Charest found guilty of 37 charges in sex trial
They also point out a pre-sentence report presented by the Crown stated the risk of Charest reoffending is slim.
READ MORE: Alpine Canada apologizes to victims of former national ski coach Bertand Charest
He has also offered a $50,000 bond and has agreed to respect various conditions, including reporting to provincial police on a regular basis, abiding by a curfew, abstaining from working as a coach and staying away from parks and schools.
READ MORE: Ex-ski coach Bertrand Charest to appeal sex-crime convictions
Justice Martin Vauclair has taken the case into deliberation and says he wants to make a decision quickly, possibly as early as Friday.
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