This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Canada, which closed in 2021.

Arrests Linked To Tony Clement Sexting Scandal Made In Ivory Coast: CTV Report

The former Tory MP admitted to “inappropriate exchanges that crossed lines that should never have been crossed” last November.
Tony Clement at a rally in Mississauga, Ont. to announce his candidacy for the leadership of the Federal Conservative Party on July 12, 2016.
Chris Young/CP
Tony Clement at a rally in Mississauga, Ont. to announce his candidacy for the leadership of the Federal Conservative Party on July 12, 2016.

Two men have been arrested by Ivory Coast officials in connection to former Tory MP Tony Clement's sexting scandal, according to sources cited in an exclusive report by CTV News.

Identified by officials only as "CH" and "DML", the men are accused of posing as a woman online, soliciting sexually explicit images from Clement and blackmailing him to the tune of €50,000 (about $75,000 CAD).

Using fake accounts on LinkedIn and Instagram, "CH" and "DML" posed as a woman named "Brianna Dounia," CTV reports. Once the explicit images were obtained, authorities say the men threatened to release them to the public if Clement, a married father of three, didn't pay.

HuffPost's off-hours request for comment from Clement went unanswered.

Tony Clement on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Oct. 22, 2018.
Sean Kilpatrick/CP
Tony Clement on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Oct. 22, 2018.

In a detailed note posted to his website on Nov. 8, 2018, Clement confessed to "a number of poor decisions" and "inappropriate exchanges" which led to "acts of infidelity."

In the note, Clement, 57, described an event involving "foreign actors attempting to use my indiscretion for financial extortion." He said he "immediately" reported this incident to the RCMP.

After the revelations, several accounts of Clement's "totally inappropriate" behaviour towards women online also came to light.

"He sent me sexual messages, pictures/videos. Flirting with me. Told me he missed me, told me how amazing I was," a woman from Parry Sound, Ont. told HuffPost Canada. Several other women reported "creepy" likes on their Instagram pictures and private messages at all hours of the night.

Clement wrote that he was "committed to getting the professional help I need to continue serving my family, my community and my country in whatever ways I can."

Tory leader Andrew Scheer asked Clement to resign from the Conservative caucus the day before the note was posted. But Clement refused to step down as an MP, and now sits as an Independent representing Parry Sound-Muskoka.

Clement has held a seat in the House of Commons since 2006, and he ran twice for leadership of the federal Conservatives.

Also on HuffPost:

Close
This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Canada. Certain site features have been disabled. If you have questions or concerns, please check our FAQ or contact support@huffpost.com.