Canadian Fashion Designer Facing Serious Sex Trafficking Charges That Includes Minors

Canadian fashion designer Peter Nygard is facing serious sex trafficking charges in what is reportedly a long-running scheme that involves multiple victims from the United States, Bahamas, Canada and more.

The 79-year-old was arrested by Canadian authorities on Monday in Winnipeg upon the orders of United States officials. According to Nygard’s lawyer, the fashion mogul is denying the allegations or any wrongdoing. He is expected to be vindicated in court, BBC.com reported.

According to USA Today, Nygard used the resources of an international fashion empire to lure and maintain adult and minor-aged females for his sexual gratification as well as friends and associates. Prosecutors add that the Canadian used "force, fraud, and coercion" to arrange sexual encounters for himself and that this involved minors.

"Nygard frequently targeted women and minor-aged girls who came from disadvantaged economic backgrounds (or) who had a history of abuse," federal officials said. "He controlled his victims through threats, false promises of modeling opportunities and other career advancement, financial support, and by other coercive means, including constant surveillance, restrictions of movement, and physical isolation."

Facing a nine-count indictment, Nygard allegedly hosted "swinger" and "pamper parties" at several personal locations. This included his properties in Marina del Rey, California and the Bahamas. He reportedly used girlfriends or other employees to recruit others for sexual encounters.

"Some unwilling participants, including minors, were drugged to force their compliance with his sexual demands," prosecutors said. "Other victims had no advance warning of Nygard’s interest in sexual activity before being lured to a secluded area of the property where Nygard used physical force (or) psychological pressure to coerce sex."

For those who may not know Nygard, he is a Finnish-Canadian multimillionaire behind a sportswear company in Canada established in the 1960s. The company developed into a global business from there.

Nygard, estimated to be worth more than $700 million is no stranger when it comes to similar cases in the past. This includes child exploitation and also being the subject of sex trafficking in 2015 and 2017.