RCMP Officer Found Guilty Of Sexual Assault

RCMP Officer Found Guilty Of Sexual Assault

Tuesday, October 24, 2006 at 21:56

 

 

An RCMP officer has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a female prisoner in La Ronge two years ago.

 

Cst. Thierry Jacques slowly shook his head as the judge read the verdict at Court of Queen’s Bench in Prince Albert.

 

The judge said he did not believe Jacques’ story that a sexual encounter between himself and the woman took place at his apartment, or that it was consensual.

 

The judge said he found inconsistencies in the woman’s story, as well — but concluded there was evidence to back up her version of events.

 

That includes a shirt containing Jacques’ DNA that the woman was photographed wearing, the date in question and testimony from a guard that Jacques told him: “If I go down, you’re going down with me.”

 

The Crown prosecutor, Inez Cardinal, says she hopes Jacques’ conviction doesn’t cast a shadow over the RCMP as a whole.

 

Cardinal is seeking to have Jacques placed inside a penitentiary.

 

The maximum sentence for sexual assault is 14 years in prison.

 

The judge has given him a week to return to Quebec to sort out his affairs before sentencing begins on November 2nd.

 

Meantime, an RCMP spokesman says Jacques will have to face an RCMP disciplinary hearing in the coming months, in addition to the sentencing he’ll face through the courts.

 

Sgt. Brad Kaeding says Jacques will go before an RCMP panel, which will decide his fate as a Mountie.

 

Kaeding says as far as the RCMP’s position on the verdict is concerned, the force conducted an investigation and found charges were merited against the officer.

 

He says the RCMP is respectful of any court disposition and applauds the judge for his “hard work and consideration” in coming to the verdict.

 

Jacques’ disciplinary hearing will take place in Prince Albert on January 15th.