Former national ski coach Bertrand Charest will not appeal conviction

Bertrand Chartrand will not appeal his conviction and sentence for sexual crimes committed against nine young skiers, including minors, in the 1990s.

In 2017, Chartrand was convicted on 37 counts and the Quebec Superior Court sentenced him to 12 years in prison.

READ MORE: Sentence for ski coach Bertrand Charest lowered by 21 months on appeal

In his ruling, Justice Sylvain Lépine described Charest as a “sexual predator.”

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Charest launched an appeal in the wake of the verdict.

Last August, the Quebec Court of Appeal dropped 21 of the 37 counts and reduced his sentence by 21 months. But the court did not comply with his request to significantly reduce the length of his stay in prison.

READ MORE: Former ski coach appeals conviction and sentence for assaults on athletes

Charest will not, however, continue the judicial process.

The former ski coach decided on Wednesday to turn the page, according to his lawyer Antonio Cabral.

Charest has made his decision based on various factors, said Cabral. When a convicted criminal does not accept his sentence or court decisions, it may be frowned upon by the Parole Board and limit access to detention rehabilitation programs. It can also put limits on applying for parole, he added.

— With files from Global News’ Kalina Laframboise