Equestrian coach's trial begins in Kelowna sex-abuse case

Sebastian Devrainne, a high-performance equestrian coach based in Kelowna, appeared in B.C. Supreme Court on Tuesday, June 23, for the first day of his criminal trial on charges of sexual touching, sexual exploitation, and making sexually explicit material available to minors.

Devrainne, originally from France, has pleaded not guilty to allegations spanning incidents as early as 2011. Crown counsel called its first witness — a former student who was a minor at the time of the alleged abuse. Her identity is protected under a publication ban.

The witness testified that her relationship with Devrainne moved beyond student and coach in late 2013 through texts and social media messages. By summer 2014, she said, Devrainne would send messages commenting on her clothing and asking what she was wearing underneath, then requesting photos of her bra and underwear. The witness also testified that Devrainne sent photos of himself touching his penis while partially or fully naked.

The relationship became physical shortly after. The witness described Devrainne hugging and kissing her on the head, groping her, and sometimes pulling out her shirt or waistband to look at her underwear. When asked by Crown how she felt as the relationship escalated in 2014, she said she felt confused but that Devrainne often followed up with praise.

Asked how she feels now about the relationship, the witness testified with tears in her eyes: "It's really sad."

Crown questioning also revealed messages from 2023, when the witness was no longer a minor but testified she was still casually involved with Devrainne. In one exchange about their encounters while she was under 18, Devrainne texted, "Don't go screenshot that now."

Devrainne was arrested in November 2023, though his identity was not made public until the following year. He is not in custody but has been ordered to have no contact with anyone under 18. He has not coached or competed since 2023.