THUNDER BAY — A city man has pleaded guilty to four charges related to sharing and distributing intimate photos and videos of women and girls without their consent.
Darryl Renaud, 40, submitted his voluntary guilty plea before the court on Friday.
The court heard details of chats Renaud engaged in with other users of the online discussion group Discord and how he shared images and videos of women and girls under 18.
None of the victims, the court heard, ever gave their consent for their photos or videos to be shared.
The court heard that the activities of the accused took place between 2020 and 2024, when his devices were seized by police.
Initially, Renaud was facing charges of distributing images without consent, accessing, distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material. He was facing additional charges of luring and extortion.
Renaud’s charges have been rolled into four counts of knowingly and recklessly distributing intimate images without consent, intent to obtain intimate images and videos, transmitting and distributing intimate images and videos, and of making child abuse and sexual exploitation material.
Renaud was one of 13 men arrested last year in a cyber crime bust. A charge against one man was withdrawn.
Five more of the accused — Sheldon Price, Tyler Blouin, Jonathan Prieston, James Edgson and Jordan Maurice — have pleaded guilty. The remainder have their cases still making their way through the courts.
Sentencing for Renaud will take place later this fall. In the meantime, the court heard, the defence has requested a psychosexual assessment.
A confirmation hearing, to set the date of sentencing, will be held in October.
