Peter Nygard sentenced to over ten years in prison for sexual harassment

Former fashion manager Peter Nygard was sentenced to more than ten years in prison for multiple counts of sexual assault.

The 83-year-old was found guilty last November of sexually assaulting five women in his Toronto office. Peter Nygard, who holds Finnish-Canadian citizenship, used his influence and wealth to commit these crimes in a private suite on the top floor of his building.

Despite the lengthy prison sentence, Nygard will have to serve less than seven years of it, as he has already served a prison sentence since his arrest initiated by U.S. authorities in 2020.

In court, Nygard wore a black hooded Canada Goose jacket. Judge Robert Goldstein called him a “sexual predator” and described the case as “a Canadian story gone completely wrong.”

Nygard moved with his parents from Helsinki to Canada in 1952. When asked if he wanted to make a comment in court, he simply replied, “No, sir.”

His legal team announced that they would appeal against the conviction. He was acquitted of the fifth charge of sexual assault and one charge of deprivation of liberty.

During the six-week trial, the court heard harrowing testimony from the women. Four of them were in their twenties at the time of the attacks, which took place between the 1980s and 2005. One victim was just 16 years old at the time.

Judge Goldstein said a lenient sentence based on Nygard's age would provide immunity for older men who commit such crimes and was a sign that wealth and power could delay sentencing indefinitely.

Peter Nygard was arrested at the end of 2020 at the request of the United States, where he is accused of using his business to exploit women and girls. A year later, he was charged by police in Toronto. He is also facing charges in Manitoba and Quebec. He is resisting extradition to the United States, where he would face federal charges.

Nygard's son Kai Bickle, an informant in the investigation since 2019, spoke about his father's conviction. He mentioned that his father had used money for years to silence accusers and cover up his crimes.

The investigation also drew attention to Prince Andrew, who once visited Nygard in the Bahamas. The Duke of York was again asked to speak to FBI investigators after Nygard's conviction.

Prince Andrew visited Nygard's Bahamas estate in 2000, shortly after Nygard settled out of court with three employees who had accused him of sexual harassment. There are no allegations of wrongdoing against Prince Andrew.