Sask. Party MLA Ryan Domotor charged with soliciting sexual services, dropped from caucus

A Saskatchewan Party MLA has been booted from caucus after being criminally charged.

Ryan Domotor, the MLA for Cut Knife-Turtleford, is charged with communicating for the purpose of obtaining sexual services.

He was arrested Thursday at around 2 p.m. CST at a hotel in east Regina, according to police. He had been in the legislature earlier in the day until around 12:30 p.m. CST.

"Earlier this week, the Regina Police Service vice unit undertook a project aimed at combating sexual exploitation and human trafficking," Regina police spokesperson Lindsey Hoemsen said in an email.

The project, which spanned from Tuesday to Thursday, resulted in the arrests of 16 people, including Domotor.

Domotor, 56, is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Jan. 4 in Regina.

Premier Scott Moe announced Friday that, after learning of the charge, he removed Domotor from caucus and stripped him of all government appointments.

"Those in public office should be working to support vulnerable women, not exploit them," Moe said in an emailed statement. "There is absolutely no place in our government, nor frankly in the Assembly, for someone who has been charged with such a crime."

Domotor was first elected in 2020. In July he was acclaimed as the Sask. Party candidate in next year's election. However, as of Friday afternoon, the Sask. Party's announcement of Domotor's 2024 candidacy was no longer available on its website.

Domotor previously served as a member of the standing committee on human services and was serving on the economy committee, according to his official government biography.

He was the chief administrative officer for the RM of Mervin from 1994 until 2020.

He lives with his wife in Turtleford and they have two sons, according to his bio.