Ottawa lawyer James Bowie probed in legal services-for-sex case

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Ottawa lawyer James Bowie, identified for garnering Twitter followers throughout the “Freedom Convoy” motion, is the topic of a grievance to the Regulation Society of Ontario after one in every of his purchasers alleged that he provided her authorized providers in alternate for oral intercourse, invited her to snort cocaine and despatched her an unsolicited image of his penis.

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Within the Sept. 16 grievance, the previous shopper ⁠— battling melancholy and funds ⁠— reported that Bowie instructed her she may repay her retainer with oral intercourse.

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The previous shopper hooked up what seem like Snapchat messages to assist her allegations to her grievance to the legislation society, the board that governs legal professionals.

The LSO doesn’t touch upon energetic investigations. Nonetheless, this newspaper has seen the sex-for-legal-services grievance and sources have instructed this newspaper that the legislation society notified Bowie final week that it was investigating the matter.

In a single Snapchat dialog, an account with Bowie’s title asks about her boyfriend. She stated her boyfriend was upset, to which a message from a Bowie account replied that he hoped it was not due to the picture he despatched of his penis.

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“He then requested if I needed to do cocaine with him,” she recounted in her grievance to the legislation society.

The Snapchat messages, reviewed by this newspaper, seem to point out that his shopper on the time stated doing cocaine wouldn’t assist her psychological well being.

A message from a Bowie account replied: “Perhaps we should always … I discover it tends to get the social gathering began … Coke, wine .. enjoyable.”

“Once I tried to speak about funds, Mr. Bowie knew I used to be weak and struggling financially,” she stated in her grievance.

A message from a Bowie account replied on Snapchat: “I’m speaking about our deal, what we had been speaking about earlier than, and I’m propositioning you.”

The shopper stated she didn’t need to carry out oral intercourse. A message from the purported Bowie account then requested: “Do you discover me engaging?”

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“Into you? Romantically? I’ve by no means met you,” the shopper seems to answer on Snapchat.

This newspaper has not verified the authenticity of the Snapchat messages, and the allegations in opposition to Bowie haven’t been confirmed. Bowie, nor his lawyer, didn’t touch upon the allegations after a number of requests from this newspaper.

In an interview with this newspaper, the previous shopper, who this newspaper just isn’t figuring out as she is the alleged sufferer of sexual harassment, stated she’s been left traumatized.

“It made me really feel powerless and likewise ashamed that each one I used to be price was sexual favours. It led to melancholy, break day work, misplaced weight, stress and suicidal,” she instructed this newspaper.

Within the grievance to the legislation society, she stated “(Bowie) has triggered me trauma and I’m apprehensive he’ll do the identical to different weak folks. He shouldn’t be ready of energy or belief.”

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The lady has since retained legal legislation specialist Michael Spratt, who filed the grievance to the legislation society on her behalf.

In a canopy letter hooked up to the legislation society grievance, Spratt stated:“(The complainant) could be very upset and traumatized over the completely disgusting conduct of Mr. Bowie.

“These predatory acts violate a number of guidelines {of professional} conduct and had been deeply dangerous and offensive. Mr. Bowie was looking for to prey on a weak shopper … (she) is fearful, given Mr. Bowie’s profile, about retribution,” Spratt wrote to the legislation society.

“His actions convey the fame of all legal professionals into disrepute,” Spratt continued.

In an unrelated case, Bowie is scheduled to look at a law-society disciplinary listening to subsequent month for allegedly failing to co-operate with three different investigations by not producing info and paperwork.

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