A Quebec man is barred from leaving the Dominican Republic as police investigate an allegation that he attempted to have sex with a 7-year-old girl in the Dominican Republic with the consent of her father.
Police arrested 69-year-old Yvon Gaudet, along with the girl’s father, but both have reportedly been released as the family decided not to press charges. Gaudet, a former journalist with Radio-Canada, must stay in the Caribbean country while the investigation continues.
Police allege that on New Year’s Eve in the tourist town of Sosúa near Puerto Plata, Gaudet tried to have sex with the 7-year-old girl with the consent of her father. The father’s name has not been released in order to protect the identity of his daughter.
In a statement, Global Affairs Canada said they are “aware of a Canadian citizen under investigation in the Dominican Republic. Due to the provisions of the Privacy Act, no further information can be disclosed.”
The Dominican Republic has faced international scrutiny in the past for a child sex trafficking problem. In 2017, the UN Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children urged the country to “send a strong signal” that its tourism targets should not be reached at the “expense of exposing further children to the scourge of sexual exploitation.”
None of the allegations have been tested in court.
