A quasi-sadistic pimp who had no trouble sexually exploiting two women in Vancouver from his cell in Montreal has just been sentenced to seven years in prison. But since he has been detained for years, Sergei Klenovsky will regain his freedom… in 50 days.
Posted at 3:26 p.m.
The 29-year-old Montrealer also received a long-term offender label, reserved for the worst criminals. In this context, he will be subject to increased surveillance for 10 years. At the slightest misstep, he will return behind bars. According to an expert, his risk of reoffending is “very high”.
Justice took its time in this case: accused in June 2020, Sergei Klenovsky had his trial in April 2022 at the Montreal courthouse. In July 2023, Judge Flavia K. Longo found him guilty of pimping, intimidation and human trafficking of two victims.
It was finally on January 9 that Sergei Klenovsky received his sentence. Such a delay has advantages for an accused: each day of preventive detention is calculated at time and a half. This is why the pimp has almost already finished serving his sentence.
Crown prosecutor Me Alexandre Gautier demanded 10 years of detention, while defense lawyers Me Ramy El-Turaby and Me Danièle Roy asked for four years in prison and no long-term offender label.
Sergei Klenovsky put one of his victims through hell. Laurie*, a young woman in a state of “extreme vulnerability” who found herself forced to prostitute herself day and night in a Vancouver condo. She was attacked by 5 to 15 “customers” every day, even though she was menstruating. Furthermore, she lived the life of a slave.
-Five years later, Laurie is a broken woman. She made multiple suicide attempts. “She wants to heal, but this seems unattainable,” explains the judge. Before the Court, Laurie said she felt “still imprisoned” and still lived in fear.
« [Laurie] is haunted by the disgusting memories of the touches of these men with whom she had sexual relations and she suffers that no one heard her silent cries,” summarizes the judge.
From the Montreal Detention Facility (Bordeaux prison), Sergei Klenovsky ran his criminal organization using illegal cell phones. Considering himself as an “artist agent” managing his “singers”, the pimp gave orders to his henchmen to recruit women.
Laurie was therefore under the yoke of a “mini-boss” in Klenovsky’s organization. This woman was also a victim of the pimp.
Sergei Klenovsky presents a worrying profile: he is just below the threshold to qualify clinically as a psychopath. He has an “antisocial” personality and feels no remorse for his crimes. His risk of violent recidivism is in the highest category on a scale of nine.
However, an expert concludes that his risk of recidivism can be “controlled” with the implementation of community supervision measures.
