CAMPBELLTON, N.B. — A man who claims he was groped by a New Brunswick priest more than 30 years ago testified Tuesday that he is still haunted by the incident.
Michael Jensen told the Court of Queen’s Bench in Campbellton that he was touched inappropriately when he was 13 years old by Charles Picot, a Roman Catholic priest who has since retired.
The alleged incident occurred one evening in December 1975 in Dalhousie, N.B., after several months of regular visits between the priest and the boy.
Jensen testified that he and Picot were watching television together during the Christmas holidays in the rectory of the Dalhousie Catholic church, when the priest lay down on his back asked the boy to get on top of him.
Picot put his arms around Jensen in a bear hug, with one hand on his belt buckle, Jensen told the court.
Then, with his right hand, Picot “attacked me very violently in my testicles and penis, and squeezed very hard, and it hurt very much,” Jensen said.
Jensen, who was born in Dalhousie and now lives in British Columbia, said he “fought with every ounce of energy that I had” to break free of Picot’s hold, ran out of the room, and never visited Picot again.
Picot, who is now in his 60s, is facing one count of indecent assault for the alleged incident.
The retired priest has pleaded not guilty to the charge, and denied during testimony Tuesday that the incident ever took place.
Picot told the court that he met regularly with Picot, but never touched him inappropriately.
He said boys visited him regularly in the living room adjacent to his rectory apartment in Dalhousie, sometimes until 8 or 9 in the evening, and that there was nothing unusual about the arrangement.
Picot said he frequently listened to music with them, or took them on drives to Belledune or Bathurst.
Between 1975 and 1993, Picot served as a priest in several parishes across northern New Brunswick, including Campbellton, Lameque, and Bathurst. He was based in Dalhousie between 1975 and 1978.
Jensen said that for years he didn’t feel he could tell anyone what happened.
The trial resumes Wednesday, with Picot returning to the stand.
