Gilles Deguire, former Montreal North mayor, charged with sexual assault, touching of minor

Gilles Deguire, the former mayor of Montreal North, is facing charges of sexual assault and the sexual touching of a minor.

According to an arrest warrant obtained by Radio-Canada,Deguire was arrested some time thismonth and released on condition that heappear in court to be formally charged. He is expected to appear in court on Wednesday.

• Montreal North Mayor Gilles Deguire resigns amidst criminal investigation

Documents say the alleged assault happened between Dec. 1, 2013 and Oct. 23, 2015.

Deguirestepped down as boroughmayor in early January, and an executive committee member confirmed he was undercriminal investigation. Deguire had beena member of Mayor Denis Coderre's party.

'Let the courts do their work:' Coderre

At a hastily organized newsconference on Monday, Coderre said he will not comment on the charges so as to not influence the court proceedings.

"We'll let the courts to their work," Coderresaid. "Ialready reacted last week to Mr. Deguire's resignation."

On Jan. 10, Coderresaid he was "inshock" at the resignation, addingthat services must still be delivered to residents. He appointed city councillorChantal Rossi as acting borough mayor.

Before entering politics in 1999, Deguirewas a Montreal police officer for 30 years, including stintswith theyouth crimes prevention squad and later as an investigator withthe department's sexual crimes unit.

He worked for 10 years as a political attach forBourassa-Sauv MNA Line Beauchamp, and he was elected borough mayor in 2009.