The Alouettes suspend Christophe Norman until further notice

MONTREAL — The Montreal Alouettes announced Friday that fullback Christophe Normand has been suspended until further notice following the luring allegations he faces.

Normand, a former teacher, faces two charges of luring a person under the age of 18, including one of luring a person under the age of 16 or whom the accused believed to be under the age of 16 during the ‘insulted.

The events leading to the charges allegedly took place on August 9, 2022.

Sûreté du Québec Sergeant Audrey-Anne Bilodeau said the two offenses involve the same victim.

« Out of respect for all parties involved, we will await the results of the investigation, » Alouettes president Mario Cecchini said in a statement. Christophe is therefore suspended until further notice”.

A spokeswoman for the Quebec criminal prosecution service, Patricia Johnson, said Normand, who is 30, was arrested Thursday by the Sûreté du Québec.

The arrest came after a search of Normand’s home on August 19.

Normand appeared in court in Granby on Thursday and was released on conditions.

There is no evidence that Normand met the alleged victim after the attempted lure, Bilodeau said. She added that investigators “confirmed that there were no other events where the victim and the accused could have been together, except at school last year”.

Normand had been working as a teacher during the off-season since 2015.

According to the Alouettes website, he had started two years ago to teach the social universe at the Monseigneur-Euclide-Théberge school in Marieville, his alma mater.

Bilodeau mentions that the investigation made it possible to identify only one victim. However, police are asking the public to provide any information regarding the allegations, or any other victims to come forward.

In 10 games this season, Normand rushed for 21 yards and caught two passes for five yards. He also made a special teams tackle.