Peter Nygard wanted in Toronto amid U.S. extradition request on sex charges

WINNIPEG – While Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard has given consent to a Winnipeg court to be extradited on sex trafficking and racketeering charges, a warrant has now been issued for his arrest in Toronto.

The Toronto Police Service says Nygard is wanted in connection with an investigation into “multiple historic sexual assaults” dating back to as early as 1987.

Police say Nygard is accused of forcibly confining and sexually assaulting a woman between October and November of that year, as well as between November 1988 and February 1989.

He’s also accused of sexually assaulting a woman in December of 1988, between November 2005 and March 2006, and forcibly confining and sexually assaulting a woman between January 2005 and March 2006.

RELATED: Supreme Court of Canada denies fashion mogul Peter Nygard bail request

Toronto police say he is expected to be charged with six counts of sexual assault and three counts of forcible confinement upon arrest.

News of the warrant comes after Nygard was arrested in Winnipeg last year under the Extradition Act, facing several counts of sex trafficking and racketeering in the Southern District of New York.

It’s unclear how these new accusations in Toronto will affect the extradition process. The justice minister still needs to sign off on Nygard’s extradition, even though he’s given consent.

Allegations in the U.S.

Authorities in the U.S. accuse Nygard of using his influence in the fashion industry to lure women and girls with the promise of modelling and other financial opportunities

The extradition request from the U.S. details accounts from seven alleged victims who are expected to testify in a criminal trial in that country that their livelihoods and movements became dependent on having sex with Nygard.

Nygard’s extradition hearing was originally to take place in November. It was changed at the request of the Crown and Nygard’s counsel.

Defence lawyer Brian Greenspan has said Nygard is looking forward to addressing the allegations against him.

“He denies the veracity of the claims against him and the only place that is ever going to be determined is in a trial in the United States.”

Nygard applied for bail in January, but it was denied by a judge who cited concerns that Nygard would contact witnesses if released. Nygard appealed that decision and was again denied release in March.

RELATED VIDEO: Peter Nygard to remain in Winnipeg-area jail

Justice Jennifer Pfuetzner of the Manitoba Court of Appeal said Nygard’s detention was necessary to maintain confidence in the justice system, given the enormity of the allegations. She said the allegations “paint a picture of criminal conduct that was planned, financed and executed on a staggering scale.”

The Supreme Court of Canada denied Nygard’s request to challenge the two lower court decisions.

He is also the subject of a class-action lawsuit in the U.S. involving 57 women with similar allegations.

Nygard founded his fashion company in Winnipeg in 1967. It grew from a partial stake in a women’s garment manufacturer to a brand name sold in stores around the world.

He stepped down as chairman of his company after the FBI and police raided his offices in New York City in February 2020.

Nygard International has since filed for bankruptcy.