Montreal billionaire Robert Miller faces new sex charges involving victim under age 14

Montreal billionaire Robert Miller is facing additional charges of sexual misconduct involving a new complainant who was under the age of 14 when the alleged offences began.

Quebec's director of criminal and penal prosecutions, known by its French acronym DPCP, has charged the businessman with sexual interference with a person under the age of 16, sexual exploitation of a minor and obtaining sexual services from a minor.

The crimes allegedly occurred between 1995 and 2000, beginning when the woman was younger than 14.

These charges are in addition to the 21 counts already brought against Miller when he was initially arrested on May 30, and bring the number of alleged victims to 11.

It was a report from Radio-Canada's Enquête, broadcast in February 2023, that first revealed the allegations of numerous women who said that Miller had paid them for sex when they were minors.

The report led to Miller's resignation from his company Future Electronics. A police investigation was also relaunched, resurrecting elements of an initial effort in 2009, which did not result in any criminal charges at the time.

Miller is also the subject of several civil lawsuits, including a class action that has not yet been authorized but has about 50 participants, and three individual complaints that total nearly $30 million in requested damages.

Although these proceedings have been going on for months, Miller, who has advanced Parkinson's disease, has not yet appeared in court due to his poor health. In the case of the class action, Miller's lawyers have asked that he be questioned in writing.

Miller has repeatedly denied the accusations against him.

A Quebec Court judge on Thursday set Miller's next court date for Feb. 25 to determine whether he wants to be tried by a jury or in front of a judge alone.