Bathurst man who sexually assaulted 14-year-old denied parole

A Bathurst man convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and deemed a high risk to reoffend has been denied day parole.

Steven Laurette, 45, applied for parole after serving 16 months of a seven-year sentence. 

During the trial in 2023, the court heard that Laurette, of South Tetagouche in the Bathurst area, was in a position of authority over the victim and took advantage of her troubled relationship with her father. 

According to a Parole Board of Canada decision this month, Laurette supplied the girl with drugs and alcohol and "groomed" her before having "several sexual encounters" with her. 

While awaiting trial on the charge, Laurette used another inmate's account — so under someone else's name — to phone the girl and tell her not to testify in court or she "would regret it."

In its decision, the board said Laurette is highly likely to reoffend, denies he's done anything wrong and hasn't done anything to address his "sexual offending."  

"The Board believes that you acted on sexual deviant thoughts by engaging in sexual acts with a minor." 

It also said Laurette was "assessed as manipulative and presenting with inappropriate sexual attitudes due to the element of grooming the victim." 

Whenever he's released, the board said, Laurette should be "appropriately monitored" to ensure he's not alone with girls under the age of 16.

In addition to the sexual concerns, the report also noted a history of violating probation orders that "puts into doubt your willingness and ability to abide by conditions of release." Add to that several institutional infractions, including "being confrontational and threatening toward staff, making inappropriate comments and self-medicating with THC."

Police are also concerned about Laurette's potential release, the report said. 

"Local police in all locations are not supportive of a conditional release given that your sexual issues remain untreated, that you have not taken any responsibilities and that you have made no progress addressing your risk factors."

What follows in the report is a redacted section about concerns from an unnamed police force that Laurette could face "retribution from individuals in the community should you return to that community." 

Named in investigation of another girl's disappearance

Although police have never named Laurette as a suspect or person of interest in the disappearance of 14-year-old Madison Roy-Boudreau, he was named publicly by investigators not long into their investigation. 

Madison was last seen on May 11, 2021, while on her way to school in Bathurst. 

On May 27, 2021, then Bathurst police Chief Stéphane Roy went through a timeline of the case during a livestreamed news conference.

He said Madison's father reported her missing just before midnight on May 11. By the next day, police were told that Madison was seen getting into a grey Ford Ranger. 

That vehicle was located on May 13 and its driver arrested, Roy told reporters. Investigators also spent several days searching a quarry near the intersection of Middle River Drive and St. Anne Street because the truck was said to have been seen in the area. 

The identity of the driver who was arrested was never revealed. However, in the timeline, the chief said Laurette appeared in court on May 14 and was charged with breaching an undertaking between May 10 and 11 in Bathurst by being with an underage female. 

In the news conference, Roy was asked why Laurette was mentioned in the timeline, but he declined to provide any more details. 

"I can tell you that he's charged for failing to comply with the conditions of a court undertaking, and I cannot comment on whether or not it's in connection to Madison," Roy said. 

It would later become clear that, at the time of Madison's disappearance, Laurette was on an undertaking in a case that involved another girl who was 14 years old when she was sexually assaulted by Laurette. 

Still not named as suspect

Police are still not saying whether Laurette is a suspect in Madison's disappearance, which has since been declared a homicide.

Laurette's defence lawyer in the sexual assault case, Alex Pate, did not respond to interview requests. 

In April 2022, the RCMP took over the investigation after it was determined that Madison had been seen in the Middle River area after leaving Bathurst, which put her into RCMP jurisdiction. 

"In general, we would not confirm whether a specific individual was the subject of a police investigation unless there was an operational need to do so, or if charges had been laid in court," explained Cpl. Hans Ouellette, a spokesperson for the RCMP in New Brunswick.

Ouellette said the RCMP renewed the search around Middle River on Oct. 19 after receiving "credible information" that led them to the area.

"Unfortunately, the search did not reveal any new information regarding the circumstances of her disappearance," Ouellette said. 

The RCMP "have always considered Madison to be a No. 1 priority for us in that region," he said. "And we've continued to follow up on tips and any leads or anything that the public or anyone with information may have supplied to us."

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 1-888-506-RCMP (7267), Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or by downloading the secure P3 Mobile App, or by Secure Web Tips at www.crimenb.ca.

"Any detail, even if it seems small, could assist with furthering this investigation and bringing answers to Madison's family and her community," said Ouellette.

Madison's family members could not be reached for comment, while others connected to the search for her have declined comment.