TORONTO – Sen. Don Meredith has been kicked out of the Conservative caucus after a media report detailed allegations that he engaged in a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old girl.
The Toronto Star reported Wednesday that the teenager alleged the 50-year-old senator and Pentecostal pastor started a relationship with her two years ago, when she was 16, and they had sex twice after she turned 18.
The age of consent for sexual relations in Canada is 16, but rises to 18 if there are issues of authority, trust or dependency in the relationship.
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The teenager alleged the relationship began with sexually explicit chats over Skype and Viber before progressing to intercourse with Meredith.
As evidence, the girl showed several text messages to The Star that were allegedly sent by Meredith.
The relationship ended this year when the girl said she received a text message referencing the break-up.
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“God has spoken to me and is not happy with me, I should be leading you … not making you,” Meredith allegedly wrote.
Shortly after the Star’s report, a spokesperson for the prime minister’s office said Meredith was no longer a member of the party’s caucus
Meredith, who is a pastor with the Praise Centre in Toronto, was appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2010.
Global News attempted to contact Sen. Meredith on Wednesday evening but his cellphone went straight to voicemail.
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