News Release
SIU Charges Chatham-Kent Police Service Officer with Sexual Assault and Breach of Trust
Case Number: 15-OSA-191
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit has caused a sexual assault charge and a breach of trust charge to be laid against a constable with the Chatham-Kent Police Service.
An SIU investigation found the following:
- Around 2:00 a.m. on August 23, 2015, a 23-year-old woman encountered a Chatham-Kent Police officer.
- The woman was driven in a marked cruiser to a parking lot in the Orangewood Boulevard area.
- The woman was allegedly sexually assaulted.
As a result of this investigation, the Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has reasonable grounds to believe the officer committed the criminal offences of sexual assault and breach of trust. He has caused two charges to be laid.
Chatham-Kent Police Service Constable Kenneth Miller is now facing one count of sexual assault, contrary to s. 271 of the Criminal Code of Canada, and one count of breach of trust in connection with the duties of his office, contrary to s. 122 of the Criminal Code of Canada, in relation to this particular incident.
The officer is required to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice at the Chatham Courthouse on July 5, 2016.
The matter is now properly before the courts. In consideration of the fair trial interests of the accused, the SIU will make no further comment.
The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of officials (police officers as well as special constables with the Niagara Parks Commission and peace officers with the Legislative Protective Service) that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault and/or the discharge of a firearm at a person. All investigations are conducted by SIU investigators who are civilians. Under the Special Investigations Unit Act, the Director of the SIU must
- consider whether the official has committed a criminal offence in connection with the incident under investigation
- depending on the evidence, cause a criminal charge to be laid against the official where grounds exist for doing so, or close the file without any charges being laid
- publicly report the results of its investigations