Convicted priest Brian Boucher's release revoked after alleged abuse material viewing

The Parole Board of Canada revoked the statutory release of Brian Boucher, 64, a former Montreal priest convicted in 2019 of sexually abusing two boys, determining he had returned to a "criminal cycle" of offending.

Boucher received an eight-year sentence in 2019 and was granted statutory release in July 2024, living at a Montreal community correctional centre. In April 2026, correctional staff received a tip that Boucher had been viewing pornographic material—possibly child sexual abuse material—on public transit. He was arrested April 9 and charged in August with possession and viewing child pornography, which he denied.

The board found a pattern of escalating violations. Correctional officers reported that between May and June 2025, Boucher repeatedly attended mass while in close proximity to family members of one of his victims, making direct eye contact with at least one person despite having no authorization to do so. He also wandered through common areas against directives from his case management team. By late 2025, the board had already modified his release conditions, ordering him to stay away from sections of Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce and Town of Mount-Royal to prevent contact with victims' families.

When questioned about the allegations, Boucher denied them and provided inconsistent explanations. He admitted disobeying rules about participation in mass at least once. Despite completing several programs for sex offenders, he made little progress and continued to deny the original offences for which he was convicted. The board concluded he showed no remorse or empathy toward victims and was incapable of recognizing the problem of sexual delinquency; no intervention would be effective.

Stricter conditions now bind Boucher: he must reside in an approved residential facility with no right to leave unsupervised, is prohibited from accessing any pornography, cannot contact minors except in limited approved circumstances, and is barred from places where children are likely to gather. He is allowed only one mobile device or SIM card unless authorized, and must permit probation officers to inspect his phone, including messages, photos, emails, social networks and browser history. Geographic restrictions remain in place in certain Montreal neighbourhoods to prevent crossing paths with victims or their families. He remains eligible for statutory release before the end of his original sentence but only under these strict conditions.