A Nova Scotia RCMP officer has been charged with indecent exposure after an investigation by the province’s independent police watchdog, and remains suspended from duty.
The 34-year-old officer was a member of the Eskasoni detachment at the time.
According to the Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT), Const. (Terrance) Justin Sanford is scheduled to appear in Sydney Provincial Court on April 28.
SiRT was initially contacted by the RCMP on Dec. 13, 2022, about an alleged incident that happened in 2021. SiRT’s final report has not been released yet, and there is no additional information about the allegations.
“SiRT commenced an investigation into the matter and has deemed that a charge is appropriate in the circumstances,” SiRT wrote in a release Wednesday.
In a statement, Assistant Commissioner Dennis Daley, the commanding officer of the Nova Scotia RCMP, said he found out about the sexual misconduct allegation against Sanford on Dec. 12, 2022.
He said the matter was immediately referred to SiRT and Sanford was suspended from duty.
“The RCMP takes all allegations of misconduct seriously; our employees are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that not only meets, but exceeds, the rightfully high expectations of Canadians,” Daley said.
“These criminal charges are disturbing and Cst. Sanford, who’s been an RCMP member for 5 years, remains suspended from duty. An internal code of conduct process has also been initiated.”