Halifax police officer facing sexual assault charge

A Halifax Regional Police (HRP) officer has been charged with sexually assaulting a fellow employee in mid-2016.

Police arrested 35-year-old Const. Pierre-Paul Cadieux Tuesday morning after receiving an internal complaint on May 25 regarding an alleged sexual assault in the Halifax Regional Municipality.

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At a press conference Tuesday evening, HRP Supt. Jim Perrin said Const. Cadieux was not an officer at the time of the alleged incident, but was in training to become one.

Supt. Perrin said it was not a random act, as Const. Cadieux and the victim were known to each other.

Const. Cadieux has less than two years of service with HRP. He has been suspended with pay and released from custody on conditions, including not having contact with the victim during the investigation.

“Our employee’s conduct is critical to building and maintaining the public’s trust,” Supt. Perrin said. “Any instance of an HRP officer being charged is one too many.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Our employee's conduct is critical to building and maintaining the public's trust," Supt. Perrin said. "Any instance of an HRP officer being charged is one too many."

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Nova Scotia’s police watchdog was made aware of the matter but are not leading the investigation, as Const. Cadieux was not a police officer at the time of the alleged assault.

Supt. Perrin would not say whether the victim was also a police officer.

“We’ve made the decision not to specify gender in this case or employment assignment, just so we can make sure we maintain the integrity of the victim,” Supt. Perrin stated.

Const. Cadieux is scheduled to appear in Dartmouth provincial court on July 31.