Former Canadian radio star to avoid second sexual assault trial: CBC

TORONTO (Reuters) – Former Canadian radio personality Jian Ghomeshi will not face a second trial for sexual assault but will instead agree to a peace bond, CBC News reported on Monday, citing an unnamed source close to the case.

The law firm representing Ghomeshi did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.

A peace bond is a court order that requires a person be on good behavior for a certain period of time.

Ghomeshi’s situation has drawn parallels with that of entertainer Bill Cosby, a national figure in the United States who faces multiple accusations of sexual abuse over many years. Cosby has long denied the allegations.

Ghomeshi had been the host of Q, an internationally syndicated music and arts program, and was one of the top stars at public broadcaster Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

The CBC fired Ghomeshi in 2014 for “consistently” breaching behavior standards. In response to being fired, Ghomeshi said in a Facebook post that he participates in “exciting” sex including dominance and submission, but only with the consent of his partner.

In a trial earlier this year, three women testified that Ghomeshi hit them, pulled their hair, or choked them during intimacy in 2002 and 2003.

But he was found not guilty of sexual assault when a judge ruled that none of his three accusers were credible, sparking debate over how the country’s judicial system treats victims of sexual violence.

Ghomeshi had faced another trial in June on a different count of sexual assault.

(Reporting by Jeffrey Hodgson; Editing by Nick Macfie)