Former senator Don Meredith charged with sexual assault
A former Canadian senator is facing sexual assault charges in connection with incidents that allegedly took place nearly a decade ago.
In a press release issued on Saturday, Ottawa police said Don Meredith, 58, of Toronto, is charged with three counts of sexual assault and one count of criminal harassment in connection with alleged incidents in 2013 and 2014, which police say were reported by an adult woman.
An Ottawa police source tells CTV News the man charged is the former senator.
Meredith was charged Saturday and released on a promise to appear in court.
Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed Meredith, a Pentecostal minister, to the Senate in 2010. Meredith was expelled from the Conservative caucus in 2015 when allegations of inappropriate behaviour surfaced. He later joined the Independent Senators Group as member of its chamber coordination team, but was removed from a leadership position within that group in 2017.
Meredith resigned in 2017 following an ethics committee report that declared him unfit to serve over allegations he had developed an extra-marital relationship with a 16-year-old girl that eventually became sexual—once shortly before she turned 18 and twice afterwards.
Meredith acknowledged the affair, but insisted he did not have intercourse with the girl until after she turned 18. He resigned before an expected attempt to expel him from the Red Chamber.
CTV News Ottawa reached out to the lawyer who represented Meredith as a senator but has yet to receive a reply.
Meredith was also found by the Senate’s ethics officer, in a report released after his resignation, to have created a toxic workplace environment by harassing, bullying, and threatening staff. In 2020, the senate paid his former staffers $498,000 in compensation.
Ottawa police say they are concerned there may be other victims and are asking anyone with information to contact them at 613-236-1222 ext. 5944, or by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
WHO likely to issue wider alert on contaminated cough syrup
The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children's cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in an email.
WATCH Video shows dramatic police takedown of carjacking suspects chased through parking lot north of Toronto
Police have released video footage of a dramatic takedown of a group of teens wanted in connection with an attempted carjacking in Markham earlier this month.
Canada, G7 urge 'all parties' to de-escalate in growing Mideast conflict
Canada called for 'all parties' to de-escalate rising tensions in the Mideast following an apparent Israeli drone attack against Iran overnight.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.