NEED TO KNOW
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A former Canadian police sergeant has pleaded guilty to using law enforcement databases to pursue intimate relationships
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Robert Eric Semenchuck, 53, is facing one charge of breach of trust and one charge of unauthorized use of a computer
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The former sergeant allegedly used the information to contact around 30 women, some of whom were victims of crimes
A former Canadian police sergeant has pleaded guilty to using a law enforcement database to pursue intimate relationships with around 30 women — including several victims of domestic violence.
According to CBC News, CTV News and the Regina Leader-Post, 53-year-old Robert Eric Semenchuck, a 22-year veteran of the Regina Police Service in Saskatchewan, pleaded guilty to one charge of breach of trust and one charge of unauthorized use of a computer on Friday, Nov. 21.
The police service claimed in March — when Semenchuck was charged — that the former sergeant had accessed protected information to find, contact and pursue relationships with women, some of whom had no idea he was a police officer.
The Globe and Mail reported in June that the number of women involved in the case may be as much as 30.
According to women interviewed by the newspaper, Semenchuck allegedly would use an alias, including the names “Jay Lewis” or “Steve Perkins,” and send a text messages to the women saying that he was a contractor or project manager. The conversation would then turn into constant messaging over a lengthy period, sometimes years.
Regina Police Service
Robert Eric Semenchuck
One woman identified as only “K” by The Globe and Mail said she first received an unusual message while she was staying in a women’s shelter and was recovering from domestic abuse.
She told the outlet that the text felt like a “lifeline” at a low moment, and they continued texting for four years, before she eventually began questioning him in 2023.
“I was like, ‘Do I really know this guy?’ ” she told The Globe and Mail.
She added that she ran a photo he had sent her through facial-recognition software, and it returned an image of Semenchuck with police gear.
“I can’t describe the feeling, everything that went through my head in that moment,” she said. “One of the first things that hit me was fear. Fear of this person, his power and what he could do.”
K then contacted police, which triggered an internal investigation that lasted for two years, per the outlet.
Another woman, identified as simply “C” in the article said that she received a message from a man calling himself “Steve” — and their relationship lasted for more than one year.
Google Maps
Regina Police Headquarters
“I was 18 years trying to find someone, and I didn’t know how to go about it,” she told the outlet, recalling how “Steve” eventually became controlling and demanding in their conversations.
“He was sex-crazed,” she said, describing how he consistently pressured her to send him explicit photos.
“How did he know who I was? Why did he choose me?” she questioned.
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When Semenchuck — who had been honored with policing awards over the course of his two-decade career — was charged in March, then-Police Chief Farooq Sheikh said that he had resigned from the force effective April 21.
“We acknowledge that a police officer being charged can negatively impact trust and confidence, and I’m hoping that the community also recognizes our accountability and transparency here today,” Sheikh previously said, per The Globe and Mail.
CBC News reported that Regina police has since announced new policies to ensure incidents like this can’t happen again. The policies now include an auditing process, additional training and a message that reminds anyone accessing the database that the information is only for investigative purposes.
A judge set Semenchuck’s sentencing date for Jan. 23. As many as 20 victim impact statements are expected during the hearing, CBC News reported.
Read the original article on People
