Former Saskatchewan Party MLA Ryan Domotor was not present during his first appearance in a Regina provincial courtroom for a charge of soliciting sexual services.
Alec Salloum, Regina Leader-Post
Former Saskatchewan Party MLA Ryan Domotor was not present during his first appearance in a Regina provincial courtroom Thursday morning for a charge of soliciting sexual services.
Domotor, who still represents Cut Knife-Turtleford as an independent, was represented in court by a lawyer from McDougall Gauley LLP who said Darren Kraushaar, a partner with the firm, would be representing the first-term provincial politician.
The lawyer present said they are seeking alternative measures for Domotor’s matter. Alternative measures are an option for non-violent offences to be dealt with via mediation outside of court.
Following the morning’s appearance clarification was sought from the lawyer, who was not able to provide any. A call to Kraushaar revealed he would be out of the office until Jan. 9.
Domotor’s next appearance will be Feb. 1, 2024.
Charges for this matter stem from a Regina Police Service “project” focused on targeting sexual exploitation and human trafficking. The project took place between Nov. 14 and Nov. 16, 2023 and resulted in the arrest of 16 people. Domotor was one of them, arrested on Nov. 16 at approximately 2 p.m. at an unnamed business in east Regina.
On Nov. 17, 2023 he was kicked out of the Saskatchewan Party caucus and stripped of all government appointments and responsibilities including his appointment to the cabinet committee on the economy.
Domotor’s biography on the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan website says he served 12 years on the Town of Turtleford council and 17 as coroner for the area.
It also says he has lived in Turtleford for 29 years, is married and has two sons.
At the time of his arrest, premier Scott Moe said there “is absolutely no place in our government, nor frankly in the assembly, for someone who has been charged with such a crime.”
