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      Liberal senator aide accused in rape

      By KENNETH JACKSON AND BETH JOHNSTON, SUN MEDIA

      The Ottawa Sun

      A senator's aide has been charged with breaking into a Toronto woman's
home, choking her with a belt, raping her, threatening to cut her with
scissors, sodomizing her and trying to extort her with threats he would
publish nude photos of her.

      Robert Meinzer, 38, executive assistant to Liberal Senator Art
Eggleton, was arrested in Toronto early Monday.

      The details come from information filed by police in court documents.

      Meinzer was released on bail and is expected to return to Ottawa after
his sureties provided $25,000 in bail.

      Armed with a warrant, Toronto and Ottawa police searched his Old
Ottawa South duplex yesterday at 96 Grove Ave., removing a computer hard
drive and three large evidence bags, that included neckties, a cellphone and
sexually suggestive black leather women's clothing.

      The crime is alleged to have been committed overnight at the victim's
home between Aug. 2 and 3.

      Police also allege he tried to suffocate the victim by gagging her and
covering her nostrils with his hands as he raped her.

      Meinzer was arrested at 7:50 a.m. Monday at a Toronto address. He had
a bail hearing yesterday at Old City Hall and was released on conditions.

      Meinzer is the son of prominent Toronto businessman Gerry Meinzer, who
ran a failed mayoral candidacy in 1994.

      His mother Pat Watt lives in the upscale Queen's Quay area. Both
parents posted his bail.

      "I don't know where he is," said Watt, adding she wasn't sure if he
had left Toronto.

      Watt, who was at the bail hearing, said her son was shaken up by the
arrest but was doing "just fine" despite the charges.

      DOOR KICKED IN

      Police kicked down the door to Meinzer's Ottawa home yesterday shortly
after 10 a.m. There were about 10 officers, mainly plainclothes detectives.
Police also took pictures inside the home.

      "I'd see women going in the back of the house all the time," said
neighbour Debra Martens, adding Meinzer had joked to her recently his home
was the "government intern hostel."

      Meinzer rented out rooms to female government employees. One had been
there for six months until two months ago when another woman moved in.

      Dressed in a business suit, a woman arrived home yesterday to find
police inside the house. She told police she lived there and could be seen
crying as she sat on the front stoop before police took her inside. She was
later ushered to an unmarked police van and taken away.

      Meinzer travelled to the East Coast shortly after the alleged assault
for a few days, according to his Facebook profile. He updated his
relationship status on Aug. 19 indicating he had a girlfriend.

      Eggleton released a statement last night.

      "I was shocked to hear about the allegations brought against Mr.
Meinzer. Effective immediately, he has been suspended without pay from my
office until such time as the matter has been dealt with by the proper
authorities in a court of law," the statement read.

      COURT DATE

      Meinzer is charged with break and enter with intent, assault, forcible
confinement, sexual assault, two counts of assault with a weapon, choking,
sodomy and extortion.

      He is to appear next in Toronto court Sept. 10.

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