Peter Nygard sentenced to 11 years for sexual assaults in secret bedroom at his office

Fashion mogul Peter Nygard was sentenced to 11 years in prison on Monday for sexually assaulting several women at his Toronto office. 

An Ontario judge labeled Nygard a “sexual predator” and a “Canadian success story gone very wrong,” according to the Toronto Star. Nygard, 83, built a women’s clothing empire from a Winnipeg store, expanding across North America. He was convicted in November on four counts of sexual assault, with victims as young as 16.

Prosecutors said Nygard lured women to his custom-built office suite under false pretenses, such as job interviews or tours, and assaulted them. His secret suite included a giant bed, stone jacuzzi, and keypad-locked doors. Nygard also faces criminal and civil charges in the US, including allegations of sex trafficking and racketeering.

A Manhattan indictment from December 2020 accuses Nygard of enticing young women to his Bahamas estate with cash and modeling promises. At least 57 women, including 18 Canadians, have joined lawsuits against him. Nygard denies the allegations, attributing them to a feud with billionaire Louis Bacon, who won a $203 million defamation suit against him last year.