Noah Corson, a former junior hockey player, has been found guilty of sexual assault following a trial at the Drummondville courthouse. The verdict, delivered recently, came after deliberations that began in November. The victim, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, was 15 years old at the time of the assault in 2016.
The case centered on a group sexual activity involving Corson and two other hockey players at the complainant’s residence. The main point of contention during the trial was whether the victim had consented to the activity and whether Corson had verified her age. Although Corson claimed he believed the victim was at least 18, the judge ruled that he had not taken all reasonable steps to ascertain her age, as required by law.
Judge Paul Dunnigan’s verdict focused on Corson’s failure to verify the complainant’s age, making it unnecessary to rule on the issue of consent. Under the Criminal Code, individuals under 16 cannot consent to group sex. The judge emphasized that even if the complainant had consented, unwanted group sex constitutes aggravated assault according to the law.
Prosecutor Marc-André Roy emphasized the importance of verifying the age of potential partners and criticized Corson for not taking adequate steps to do so. Roy hopes the ruling serves as a lesson for young men and highlights the courage of the victim for coming forward.
Corson, who was 18 at the time of the assault and played for the Drummondville Voltigeurs, is the son of former Montreal Canadiens center Shayne Corson. The other two individuals involved in the assault, who were minors at the time, pleaded guilty to sexual assault charges in youth court.
According to the agreed statement of facts, the victim did not know two of the hockey players before the assault. The assault occurred after the group spent part of the evening at a restaurant and escalated to group sexual activity without the victim’s consent.
The parties are scheduled to return to court on May 3 for sentencing.
