OttawaAn Ottawa police constable who admitted in an internal disciplinary hearing to having sex with a woman while he was on duty 17 years ago has now been charged criminally after the woman filed for a private prosecution.Private prosecution was filed in July, and became a criminal matter after a Sept. 26 hearingKristy Nease · CBC News · Posted: Oct 23, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours agoAn Ottawa police officer who was demoted after admitting to the force that he picked up a woman, drove her home and had sex with her while he was on duty in 2008 is now facing a criminal charge of sexual assault in relation to the incident. (Facebook)An Ottawa police constable who was demoted last month for picking up a woman and having sex with her while on duty 17 years ago is now facing a criminal charge of sexual assault related to the incident.The charge against Const. Richard Lemay is the result of a private prosecution filed by the woman at the Ottawa Courthouse in July. Private prosecutions can be filed by anyone who believes there are reasonable and probable grounds that someone has committed a crime. CBC is not naming the woman because she is an alleged victim of sexual assault.An in-camera hearing was held before a justice of the peace on Sept. 26, court records show. Afterward, the Crown intervened and a summons was issued compelling Lemay to appear in court to answer the charge.That means the case will move through criminal court like any other. His next appearance is scheduled for later this fall.The criminal allegation against Lemay has not been proven and he remains innocent of it. He has hired lawyers James Foord and Anthony Paciocco to defend him.SIU investigated and didn’t charge, lawyer saysIn addition to the non-criminal internal disciplinary proceeding that resulted in Lemay’s demotion for offences under the Police Services Act, the woman’s allegation was criminally investigated by Ontario’s police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit, Paciocco told CBC.The unit served notice last year that its investigation had concluded with no charges against Lemay, Paciocco said.The officer “denies [the complainant’s latest criminal] allegation and will vigorously defend himself,” Foord added.The Ottawa Police Service declined to comment on the private prosecution charge Wednesday, citing the ongoing court case.A private prosecution was filed by the complainant at the Ottawa Courthouse in July. (Guy Quenneville/CBC)In Lemay’s concluded internal disciplinary matter, he pleaded guilty in July to one count each of discreditable conduct, neglect of duty and insubordination. He admitted to being in full uniform and on duty when he picked up the woman in a marked cruiser to drive her home, then entered her residence and having sex with her. He admitted he stopped working without cause, and failed to secure his firearm and other use-of-force tools while he was inside the woman’s home.On Sept. 8, the hearing officer sentenced him to a one-year demotion from first-class constable to second-class constable, to begin upon his return to work.Lemay is not currently suspended but has not yet returned to duty, according to Ottawa Police Association president Matthew Cox. The union represents Ottawa police rank-and-file officers and civilian employees, and is supporting Lemay through the court process, Cox said.The force confirmed Lemay is not suspended, but did not say when his suspension began and ended.ABOUT THE AUTHORCBC Ottawa senior writer Kristy Nease has covered news in the capital for 16 years, and previously worked at the Ottawa Citizen. She has handled topics including intimate partner violence, climate and health care, and is currently focused on the courts and judicial affairs for all platforms. Get in touch: kristy.nease@cbc.ca, or 613-288-6435. Worried? Try kristyneasecbc@proton.me instead.Selected stories.Follow her on X.
Police officer criminally charged after demotion for having sex on duty 17 years ago
