Another rich and famous sex offender finally was found guilty in court, in a trend that’s picking up worldwide.
Former billionaire Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard has been found guilty of four counts of sexual assault by a Toronto jury.
82 year-old Nygard faced trial in the Ontario superior court for five counts of sexual assault and one count of forcible confinement.
The alleged incidents took place between the 1980s and mid-2000s.
The Guardian reported:
“The court heard that Nygard used his power and status to lure women into a private bedroom suite attached to his company headquarters where he sexually assaulted them.
Prosecutors had said that Nygard met the women in social settings and invited them to the headquarters of his clothing empire in Toronto. All of the ‘tours’ ended in his bedroom suite. The room had a bed, televisions and a Jacuzzi. Prosecutors say the doors didn’t have handles and the locks were controlled by Nygard.
Canadian police arrested Nygard in late 2020 at the request of the US. He was accused of using his businesses to lure women and girls in the US, Canada and the Bahamas since 1995 to sexually gratify himself and his associates. Toronto police laid their own charges against him about a year later.
Nygard also faces charges of sexual assault and forcible confinement in Manitoba and Quebec. He is fighting extradition to the US where he faces charges in New York for nine offenses including conspiracy to commit racketeering, transportation of a minor for purpose of prostitution and sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion.”
Finland-born Nygard built up his namesake clothing companies to become one of Canada’s wealthiest people.
Nygard was acquitted of one count of sexual assault and one count of forcible confinement.
He didn’t show any emotion as the verdict was handed down after jurors deliberated for five days.
Nygard’s defense is considering an appeal.
CNC reported:
“Nygard originally faced eight charges of sexual assault and three charges of forcible confinement in the Toronto case, but five of those charges were dropped as jury selection was set to begin.
During the six-week trial, court heard graphic and disturbing testimony from all five complainants: four who said they were in their 20s when they claim they were assaulted, and one who said she was 16 when she alleges she was attacked by Nygard.
[…] Nygard testified in his defense, appearing in the witness box for five days. He testified that he couldn’t recall four of the five women, nor remember having any interaction with them.
But he also insisted and repeated that any of the allegations of sexual misconduct and sexual assault attributed to him could not have happened because he would never engage in such behaviour.”
Nygard is also facing many other legal troubles: a class-action lawsuit in the US that involves 57 women; one count of sexual assault and one count of forcible confinement in Manitoba, Canada; and one count of sexual assault and one count of forcible confinement in Quebec.
Nygard is also fighting extradition to the U.S. to face charges for nine offences: conspiracy to commit racketeering, transportation of a minor for purpose of prostitution, and sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion.
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