The creator of one of the biggest clothing companies in Canada, Peter Nygard, was given an 11-year prison term on Monday for four charges of sexually assaulting women and a girl in Toronto.
With credit for the time he spent in pre-trial incarceration, he may be released in roughly six and a half years, or sooner if parole is granted, reported AFP.
When imposing the term, Justice Robert Goldstein of Ontario Superior Court described Nygard, 83, as "a Canadian success story gone very wrong."
Referring to him as "a sexual predator," he said, "Mr. Nygard used his wealth, power, and profile to prey on his victims."
Nygard did not seem to respond to the decision while in court, donning a dark sweatshirt and a visor to protect his eyes.
In November 2023, he was found guilty of abusing his position as the leader of a major womenswear company in Canada to harass and attack three females, including a 16-year-old girl, between 1988 and 2005.
On the pretext of offering them lucrative modeling or other chances, his trial heard, he had brought them to his sumptuous Canadian headquarters. Instead, they found themselves confined in a bedroom suite on the top floor with a hot tub, where he preyed on them.
A man who had sold blouses and slacks at upscale department shops and his own stores, and who hosted extravagant parties at his houses in the Bahamas (a playground with faux volcanoes modeled after the Mayans) and Los Angeles, had a spectacular fall as a result of the case.
Nygard's defense team recommended his release within two years, noting his elderly age and deteriorating health. The prosecution had sought to have Nygard detained for at least fifteen years.
In imposing the sentence, the judge took note of the high degree of "violence, degradation and (the) duration of these sexual assaults, (as well as) the manipulations used to get the victims into (his) private apartment."
The judge also pointed out that Nygard did not control his actions throughout time.