Ex-ski coach Bertrand Charest to appeal sex-crime convictions

A former high-performance Canadian ski coachconvicted of 37 sex-related charges involving the exploitation and sexual assault of girls and young women he was coachingis appealing the decision.

Bertrand Charest's lawyer argues the trial judge erred in several instances and that his client should be acquitted on all charges or granted a new trial.

Quebec Court Judge Sylvain Lpine called Charest a sexual predator when he convicted him last month on charges involving nine of the 12 women who'd accused him.

• Witness says Charest would stop coaching her if she refused his sexual advances

The crimes date back more than 20 years when he trained aspiring professional downhill skiers.

Charest, 52, was acquitted on 18 of the charges, while the court said it didn't have jurisdiction over two other counts that happened abroad.

The 57 charges included sexual assault, sexual exploitation and one of sexual assault causing bodily harm.

Charest has been detained since his March 2015 arrest and the sentencing phase of his case is set to begin Aug. 23.

Quebec's Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions acknowledged an appeal had been filed, but declined further comment.

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