Former Durham police officer charged after relaunch of historic sexual assault investigation | CBC News

The Special Investigations Unit charged a former Durham Regional Police Service officer with nearly two dozen offences after relaunching an investigation into incidents alleged to have occurred about two decades earlier. The SIU found reasonable grounds to believe the officer committed 22 criminal offences, including six counts of sexual assault, seven counts of sexual exploitation, pointing a firearm, and assault with a weapon. The allegations involve a 17-year-old woman in Bowmanville during a six-month period in 2003. The SIU previously investigated but did not lay charges at the time, while the police service pursued disciplinary proceedings. The officer later pleaded guilty to misconduct charges. The SIU restarted the criminal investigation after the woman provided new information two years ago, and the officer was arrested in Alberta on a Canada-wide warrant.

"The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) announced the charges against a former officer on Thursday. According to the SIU, Director Joseph Martino found "reasonable grounds" to believe he committed 22 criminal offences, including six counts of sexual assault, seven counts of sexual exploitation, pointing a firearm and assault with a weapon. The charges stem from an investigation into several alleged incidents involving a 17-year-old woman in Bowmanville over a six-month period in 2003, according to an Ontario Civilian Police Commission appeal hearing over the former officer's dismissal from the police service in 2006."

"The SIU initially brought forward an investigation into the allegations in 2003, but did not charge him at the time. DRPS continued with a disciplinary investigation anyway into allegations surrounding his relationship with the woman, according to hearing case files, as well as a separate incident not related to the SIU's investigation. He eventually pleaded guilty to 10 of a total of 20 charges of misconduct that were laid against him."

"The SIU said it relaunched its investigation into the allegations after the woman, referred to as "Jane Doe" in appeal records, came forward with new information two years ago. The accused was arrested Wednesday night in Alberta on a Canada-wide warrant. He is required to appear in an Oshawa courtroom in early June. The SIU said it would not be commenting further with the matter as it's before the courts."

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