OPP officer who sexually assaulted and filmed an unconscious woman could face an “exemplary” sentence

WARNING: This article contains graphic content and may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone who has.

An Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officer found guilty of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman while recording it on his cellphone should be sentenced to five to seven years in prison, the Crown told the court on Wednesday .

Crown attorney Peter Napier’s application made during a sentencing hearing in Brockville, Ontario. for Const. Jason Redmond is above the typical range of three to five years.

Redmond’s lawyer Karin Stein suggested that the lower end of the range – three years – was more appropriate.

Napier said the longer sentence was necessary given what he called “horrific sexual assaults” followed by a “litany of torture.”

“Some cases have such a strong constellation of aggravating features that they require an exemplary sentence,” he told the court.

Napier pointed out that Redmond is still a police officer.

“To say you would expect more is a gross understatement,” Napier said.

“He should have known that what he did was morally reprehensible and he should have known the harm he caused and the fact that he tried to show everyone what he did was simple regrettable.”

Lawyer says officer has no plans to return to OPP

Stein said her client has received death threats and continues to struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder due to childhood and work trauma, as well as an ongoing addiction to crack cocaine.

She also said Redmond has not been an active police officer since 2014 and a pre-sentence report indicated he had no plans to return to the force.

“His status as a police officer is, so to speak, short-lived,” she added.

Redmond sat next to Stein in the courtroom, with a graying beard and dressed in a suit jacket, vest and jeans.

Asked by Judge Janet O’Brien if he had anything to say, he replied: “Sincerely, no, your honor.”

He was convicted of sexual assault on February 16, just over five years after the December 2017 incident.

The court had previously heard from witnesses that Redmond had committed a sexual assault and filmed it to show the victim “how easily she could be raped when she was drunk” and “to teach her a lesson”. as the court first reported Recorder and times Newspaper.

In a two-day, judge-only trial last August, O’Brien heard testimony from the Crown that she recounted when announcing her decision earlier this year, according to court transcripts obtained by CBC News.

According to a witness, Redmond “proved” to the victim that she had a drinking problem and “he made the video to show that anyone could rape her,” her verdict said.

In his defense, court records show that he argued that none of the key witnesses were credible or reliable, including the victim, who was “drinking excessively” at the time of the incident.

The officer had already been convicted of drug trafficking in 2018, but received only one year of probation and no prison time. He has been on paid leave from the OPP since he was charged in the case in 2015.

According to the OPP, Redmond was arrested in October 2021 and charged with sexual assault. In an emailed statement, police said they did not issue a press release informing the public of the charges at the time “to protect the identity of the victim.”

CBC News is not naming the victim or witnesses in this case because the victim’s identity and some circumstances surrounding the sexual assault are protected by a publication ban.

Napier said the attack had a “profound” impact on the victim, citing statements in which she described dealing with extreme anxiety, fear of trusting others and “this nightmare” with her family to have to live through.

Police demand dismissal

In an emailed statement, OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique previously said police had sought Redmond’s firing since his first drug trafficking conviction in 2018.

“This behavior is unacceptable for any police officer and cannot be tolerated,” Carrique wrote.

At this time, the OPP said Redmond was still in court on charges of “17 additional serious offenses, including assault, aggravated assault, assault with a weapon and others related to multiple victims.”

Sentencing for the sexual assault is scheduled for June 16.

Support is available for anyone who has been sexually abused. This gives you access to crisis hotlines and local support services Government of Canada website or the Ending Violence Association of Canada database. If you are in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.