Police arrest 91-year-old Canadian auto parts billionaire Frank Stronach on sexual assault charges

abcnews.go.com:

Austrian-Canadian auto parts billionaire Frank Stronach has been arrested on sexual assault charges involving accusations from the 1980s to last year

TORONTO — Austrian-Canadian auto parts billionaire Frank Stronach was arrested on sexual assault charges spanning decades, police said.

The 91-year-old was charged Friday with five crimes including rape, indecent assault on a female, sexual assault and forcible confinement, Peel Regional Police said. He was released with conditions and will appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton, Ontario, at a later date, the police statement said.

Peel Regional Police Constable Tyler Bell said there is more than one accuser but declined to say how many.

“Obviously, this is a high-profile case. Our special victims unit is bound to protect the victims and in doing so that’s why were are being vague,” Bell said. “There is more than one victim but we won’t confirm that number yet.”

Police allege the sexual assaults occurred from the 1980s to as recent as 2023. Bell said they are appealing for people to come forward if they have information or have been victims.

Stronach didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

He has hired prominent Canadian defense lawyer Brian Greenspan.

“Mr. Stronach categorically denies the allegations of impropriety which have been brought against him,” Greenspan said in an e-mail. “He looks forward to the opportunity to fully respond to the charges and to maintain his legacy both as a philanthropist and as an icon of the Canadian business community.”

Stronach, born in Austria, became one of Canada’s wealthiest people by creating Magna in his garage in 1957 and building it into one of the world’s largest suppliers of auto parts.

He also founded