News Release
Waterloo Regional Police Officer Charged with Sexual Assault
Case Number: 16-OSA-096
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit has caused a sexual assault charge to be laid against a police officer with the Waterloo Regional Police Service.
As a result of an SIU investigation, the Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has reasonable grounds to believe the police officer committed the criminal offence of sexual assault while he and the complainant were at the Ontario Police College in Aylmer in April 2015.
Waterloo Regional Police Service Detective Constable Zachary Gent is now facing a charge of sexual assault, contrary to s. 271 of the Criminal Code of Canada.
The police officer is required to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice at the Elgin County Courthouse in St. Thomas on July 26, 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.
If you or someone you know is an affected person in need of support, please call the Affected Persons Program General Referral Line at 1-877-641-1897 or click here for more information: siu.on.ca/en/apc.php
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