Bertrand Charest, former junior ski coach, faces sex abuse charges

A formerTeam Canada junior skicoach has been charged for allegedly sexually abusing eight young athletes.

Bertrand Charest faces 47 charges, all related to the alleged sexual abuse ofeight female minor athletes between 1991and 1998. He appeared at the St-Jrme courthouse on Wednesday afternoon.

Charestis a former coach with the Canadian national junior ski team, with TeamQuebec, Team Laurentians and the Mont-Tremblant ski team. According to an online profile, he was also a former manager for the Canadian national women's ski team from 1995 to 1998.

The alleged incidents took place inMont-Tremblant,Que., andwhile Charest was accompanying young skiers to competitions in Alberta, Ontario, British Columbia, the United States, France, Austria and NewZealand.

One of the allegedvictims who has come forward says she was abused while training with Charestin Europe.

CBC cannot identify the womanbecause of the publication ban.

"Thats where the first serious abuse happened and I felt disgusted with myself and totally ashamed and for the longest time I thought it was my fault because he is a person in a position of authority," she tells Anna MariaTremontion CBC's The Current inan exclusive interview.

"He took away stuff from me that I can never have back and made my childhood for a big chunk of ita living hell."

More charges possible

Mont-Tremblant police say a first victim came forward in Februaryand they are now seeking more potential victims.

Police say more charges could be on the way.

"We've had some information that other women might have been victims of Mr. Charest, but they didn't come forward yet," saidEric Cadotte with Mont-Tremblant police. "When they're ready to do so they can contact us at the police station and we will take their depositions."

Charest is the co-founder of a glass company, ThinkGlass, based in Boisbriand, Que..

Charestwas arrested last Friday and released, before being re-arrested early Wednesday morning.

He will remain in custody until his next court appearance on Friday.

Listen to the full interview on The Current at 8:30 a.m. ET on CBC Radio