A 55-year-old resident of the Rosemont-La-Petite-Patrie borough has been charged with inciting hatred toward Jewish people and with uttering threats toward Céline Dion’s family.
Robert Gosselin was arrested by the Montreal police earlier this week and made his first court appearance at the Montreal courthouse, where he faces three criminal charges in all, on Friday.
According to court records, the Crown did not object to his release and he was allowed to be released as long as he could deposit $500 as a bond. Gosselin does not appear to have a criminal record in Quebec.
One of the charges he faces is part of a section of the Criminal Code of Canada that covers hate propaganda. He is alleged to have “voluntarily incited hatred toward an identifiable group” through a means of communication that is not considered private on Oct. 24. The charge was filed as an offence punishable by summary conviction and the charge sheet made public at the courthouse includes no details on how the alleged statements were made. A man by the same name who lists Montreal as his home posted a series of items on at least one social media platform on Oct. 24. The material he posted generated angry comments from people who alleged he was racist and anti-semitic.
He is also alleged to have made threats to cause the death or bodily harm to Jewish people and to “the family of Céline Dion,” the singer who is Quebec’s most famous celebrity. A conviction under that offence comes with a maximum prison term of 18 months.
Gosselin’s case returns to court on Nov. 6.