A Winnipeg city councillor has been accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a man he met on the internet.
Transcona Coun. Russ Wyatt, 56, was arrested and charged Tuesday, the Free Press has confirmed.
The Winnipeg Police Service said on Wednesday that sex crimes investigators began probing the allegations in February after a sexual assault report was submitted.
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Coun. Russ Wyatt (Transcona) was charged with sexual assault Tuesday.
The victim told investigators he met the accused on a website and then in person several times, police said.
Police allege that during a gathering in December in the east area of the city, the victim was given an illicit drug and sexually assaulted.
The man sought medical attention after he left the home.
Wyatt has been charged with sexual assault and administer noxious thing with intent to aggrieve or annoy.
Police said the councillor was released on an undertaking.
He declined to comment in a text message to the Free Press on Wednesday afternoon.
It was not immediately clear what the charges will mean for his role on council. The mayor’s office did not return a request for comment.
Wyatt was elected to city council in 2002 and held the Transcona seat until 2018. He didn’t run in the 2018 election, but was elected again in 2022 after a four-year absence.
The outspoken city councillor has been accused of sexual impropriety in the past.
Wyatt took a leave from council during his final term to seek addictions treatment, before he was charged with sex assault in July that same year.
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Wyatt maintained his innocence in response to the first charge, which was stayed by the Crown in June 2019. Details about why the stay was entered were never made public.
City police opened the investigation in January 2018 after a woman accused Wyatt of attacking her in his home. He took a leave of absence that month over what city officials described as a family matter.
In March 2018, in a letter provided exclusively to the Free Press, Wyatt disclosed he was seeking treatment at a rehabilitation centre for alcohol and substance “disorders.” The letter made no reference to the sexual assault allegation.
He then came out as bisexual, saying he had been living a double life.
Erik Pindera
Reporter
Erik Pindera is a reporter for the Free Press, mostly focusing on crime and justice. The born-and-bred Winnipegger attended Red River College Polytechnic, wrote for the community newspaper in Kenora, Ont. and reported on television and radio in Winnipeg before joining the Free Press in 2020. Read more about Erik.
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