An officer with the Hanover Police Service has been charged by the province’s Special Investigations Unit.
The SIU is responsible for investigating circumstances involving police that have resulted in death or serious injury, or if a firearm was discharged at a person.
The agency says it received a complaint on September 16th, 2021 regarding an alleged sexual assault that had occurred in 2017.
Following an investigation, the SIU says Cst. Ryan Cabral has been charged with one count of sexual assault, one count of sexual exploitation, as well as one count of breach of trust by an official contrary to sections 271, 153 & 122 of the Criminal Code.
Cst. Cabral is scheduled to appear in court in Walkerton on March 9th.
In a release, Hanover Police Chief Chris Knoll says Cst. Cabral “was suspended during the course of the SIU investigation and remains suspended with pay in accordance with the Police Services Act of Ontario.