FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

News

Alleged Serial Sexual Assaulter Jian Ghomeshi Turned Himself In to the Police Today

The notorious former Canadian Broadcasting Company host is out on bail and gearing up for what's sure to be a high-profile legal battle.

This article originally appeared on VICE Canada

Jian Ghomeshi, the notorious Canadian broadcaster accused of ​sexually assaulting multiple women, has been released on a $100,000 bail following his arrest this morning. According to the ​Toronto Police Services (TPS) Ghomeshi faces four charges of sexual assault and one charge of overcoming resistance, which according to Canada's criminal code means that he's alleged to have attempted to "render another person insensible, unconscious, or incapable of resistance."

The TPS says the investigation has been ongoing since October 31, after three women filed complaints alleging that he was physically violent with them without their consent. This was just days after Canadian actress Lucy DeCoutere went public with allegations of sexual assault that occurred over a decade ago. So far nine women have come forward to the media with allegations of violence, sexual abuse, or harassment at the hands of Ghomeshi.

It was what Toronto Star reporter Kevin Donovan ​described to the CBC as "a friendly arrest"; the police had been negotiating the terms of Ghomeshi's arrest through his lawyers, and at 8 AM today, November 26, Ghomeshi turned himself in. He arrived at a downtown courthouse in the b​ack of a police cruiser and shortly after noon—with his mother in the front row of the public gallery—was ordered to stay in Ontario and surrender his passport as he awaits his court date.

The arrest comes on the heels of recent news that Ghomeshi dropped his $55 million dollar lawsuit against the CBC and deleted all of his social media accounts, suggesting he was preparing for the ensuing legal battle. In his interview with the CBC, the Star's Donovan speculated this recent activity had something to do with police charges: "If Jian Ghomeshi had been told that he was going to be arrested… it was probably a wise move to drop that [lawsuit]."

When reached for comment by VICE, Jesse Brown, who delivered the Jian Ghomeshi story to the Star, told us: "My focus with this story remains on the CBC executives. None have taken the slightest bit of responsibility yet. Ghomeshi alleges CBC offered to let him walk & tell the public he quit *after* he showed them videos proving he'd battered a woman. They haven't denied it. If they offered to collude with Ghomeshi and conceal his crimes, how can they continue to run our public news service?"