Calgary restaurant owner charged after allegedly offering girl, 15, money for sex

A Calgary man is facing charges after allegedly propositioning a 15-year-old girl for sexual acts in exchange for money, gifts and marriage under the guise of a job interview.

Police say the girl and her family visited Pilav Central restaurant, located at 8330 Macleod Tr. S.E., in June 2024, where they met a man who identified himself as the establishment’s owner.

The man offered the girl an interview to work at the restaurant and gave her his contact details.

• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

After exchanging text messages, the pair agreed to meet at Chinook Mall on July 9 to conduct the interview.

Police say during the interview, the man asked her personal questions about her relationship status and sexual history.

“The girl felt uneasy and made attempts to redirect the questioning. It is believed the man then offered her $8,000 in exchange for sexual services,” police said.

Additionally, he allegedly offered to marry her when she turned 18, saying he would support her financially and provide other benefits.

“At the conclusion of the meeting, he provided her with a code phrase of ‘ready for a second interview’ to use if she was interested in accepting the offer,” police said.

The girl reported the incident to police “promptly.”

After investigation, Ruslan Reuven Pinkhasov, 48, has been charged with one count of obtaining sexual services for consideration from a person under 18 years of age.

He is scheduled to appear in court on March 19.

Anyone with information about this incident, or those similar, is asked to call police at 403-266-1234. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers.