Dorian Escalon: Quebec’s equestrian coach charged with child luring and sexual exploitation

A well-known horse riding trainer from southern Quebec has been accused of several sexual offenses, including child luring and sexual exploitation of minors.

Quebec provincial police said they arrested 31-year-old Dorian Escalon on June 20 and he appeared in court in Granby, Quebec, on Wednesday to face the charges.

Escalon taught at Domaine Avalon in Sutton, about 100 kilometers southeast of Montreal.

The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) said in a press release published on Thursday that there may be more suspected victims.

“Dorian Escalon was a horse riding coach and employer of minors. He may have exploited this position to commit the crimes he is accused of,” police said.

The defendant is alleged to have committed the crimes in Sutton between September 1, 2023 and January 31, 2024, the indictment states. The plaintiff was under 18 years of age at the time of the events.

Escalon’s name no longer appears on the Domaine Avalon website. A cached version of the site describes him as a renowned trainer who began competing at age six and has traveled the world for work.

In 2020, he became owner and manager of Domaine Avalon and helped launch the Cavalia Odysseo horse show in Quebec in 2011.

He is scheduled to appear in court again on August 9.

Citizens can contact police confidentially by calling the SQ information line at 1-800-659-4264.