Authorities say dozens of women and girls were sexually assaulted or trafficked over a span of multiple decades in several countries by former Canadian fashion executive Peter Nygard.

According to an indictment against him, Nygard targeted adult women and minor girls from disadvantaged economic backgrounds, many with history of abuse, and used them for his own sexual gratification and for the gratification of his friends and business associates.

“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,” a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York stated.

The women were often targeted during events hosted by Nygard, who allegedly used his influence as leader of a fashion company to hold so-called “pamper parties.”

In many instances, Nygard used women he referred to as “girlfriends” or “assistants” to recruit other women or girls for sexual purposes, prosecutors said. The girlfriends, authorities said, were often required to travel with him and engage in sexual acts as well.

The “pamper parties” were allegedly hosted at his properties in both Marina del Ray, California, and in the Bahamas, offering free food, drinks and spa services to draw guests. During the events, Nygard would have “girlfriends” or employees approach other women and girls to “indicate his interest in sex,” authorities alleged. Some women would be paid in cash for the sex, but certain unwilling participants, including some minors, were drugged or physically or psychologically forced to comply with the sexual demands of Nygard or his associates, according to prosecutors.

In some cases, Nygard used his company’s funds to pay the women and girls, at times putting them on his payroll as “models” or employees, an indictment states.

Nygard, 79, was recently charged in New York with sex trafficking, racketeering and other crimes in what authorities described as a “decades-long pattern of criminal conduct,” amounting to a nine-count indictment. He was arrested in December in Canada as part of an extradition treaty with U.S. His lawyer, Jay Prober, has since denied the charges against his client, The New York Times reports.

Since his arrest, Nygard has been in jail. His bail application was denied and an appeal was dismissed, though he has not yet exhausted all avenues for appeal. His extradition hearing is set for November, per CBC.

In addition to the charges against him, Nygard has been named in a federal lawsuit in which a number of women say they were sexually assaulted, and more than 100 witnesses have come forward. The allegations in the lawsuit filed in New York resemble the crimes cited in the indictment against Nygard, as covered in the Times. The lawsuit has also been at the center of a feud between Nygard and his hedge fund billionaire neighbor in the Bahamas, Louis Bacon, according to reports.

Three women filed a lawsuit in November 2020 alleging that Nygard forced them to engage in “commercial sex acts” with a longtime friend and associate of his, Daniel Fitzgerald, at his parties.

“Fitzgerald’s primary purpose in coming to Marina del Rey each evening was to engage in commercial sex acts with one of Nygard’s ‘girlfriends’ or another girl provided by Nygard. In exchange for sex acts, Fitzgerald would always bring a female with him to ‘offer’ to Nygard,” the lawsuit alleges, per CBC.

What can you do if you believe you were a victim?

Anyone in the United States and Canada who was a victim of sex trafficking or sex abuse by Peter Nygard may qualify to take legal action.

Learn your rights by filling out the form on this page for a free claim review.

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.