A civilian member of the Nova Scotia RCMP has been charged with four counts of sexual assault.
In a release, the RCMP said it received a report on March 10 that a woman had been sexually assaulted.
Officers learned the victim had been sexually assaulted on “multiple occasions.” During some incidents, the member was on duty or travelling on government business, according to the RCMP.
Shane Connors of Windsor Junction, N.S., who worked with the RCMP’s protective technical services section, was arrested on March 13 and later released on conditions.
He was suspended from duty and has not worked since the allegation was received, the release said.
On Monday, Connors, 46, was charged with four counts of sexual assault and is scheduled to appear in Yarmouth Provincial Court on May 8.
“Investigators with the Nova Scotia RCMP are concerned there may be additional victims and are encouraging others to come forward by contacting their local police or RCMP detachment,” the release said.
It added that the Serious Incident Response Team, Nova Scotia’s police watchdog, was engaged, but the RCMP carried out the investigation as it was not within SIRT’s mandate.
In a statement, assistant commissioner Dennis Daley, commanding officer of the Nova Scotia RCMP, said he commended the victim’s courage in coming forward and reporting the incidents.
“The RCMP takes all allegations of sexual violence very seriously but when it involves an RCMP employee who is expected to conduct themselves in a manner that not only meets, but exceeds, the rightfully high expectations of Canadians, it’s deeply disturbing,” he said.
Daley said Connors will remain suspended pending the outcome of the criminal code process.