RCMP officer facing sex-crime charge to plead not guilty, lawyer says

An RCMP officer facing a sex-crime charge plans to fight the accusation and will plead not guilty, his lawyer says.

Cpl. JeremyBastarachewas charged in June with "making an arrangement with a person, for the purpose of facilitating a sexual offence towarda person whom he believed to be under 16 years old," New Brunswick RCMP said in a June news release.

The case returned to Moncton provincial court Wednesday, where defence lawyer Nathan Gorham asked for an adjournment while waiting for disclosure of the Crown's evidence.

JudgeLuc Labont was told that disclosure should be made in September or October.Labont agreed to have the case return to court Sept. 5.

Bastarachewas not present in court. He was released on conditions after a previous court appearance.

Gorhamtold reporters outside the courthouse that his client intends to plead not guilty.

"He's looking forward to having his day in court and to having the Crown and the court consider his account of the events and his side of the story on things, and he's anxious for the process to unfold," hesaid.

Officer suspended with pay

The RCMP's June news release saidthe force had referred the investigation to theSerious Incident Response Team afterlearning of the allegations.

SIRTinvestigates matters that involve death, serious injury, sexual assault and intimate partner violence, or other matters of public interest,that may have arisen from the actions of a police officer.

The charge waslaid June 10, the release said, and the alleged offence happened "at or near Shediac" between April 24 and 29.

Erin Nauss,SIRT'sdirector,previously told CBC News that Bastarache worked at Codiac Regional RCMPat the time of the alleged offence,but now works outside New Brunswick.The RCMPhas said Bastarachehas been suspended with pay.

If convicted, he could facebetween six months andtwo years in jail.