Ottawa police officer accused of sexual assault a 2nd time

WARNING: This article contains details of abuse.

An Ottawa police constable in the middle of a disciplinary hearing for allegedly sexually assaulting a rookie officer in 2011 has been criminally charged with sexually assaulting another woman, CBC News has learned.

The new criminal charges come while Ottawa police misconduct detectives are also investigating the alleged online harassment of witnesses and the alleged use of an anonymous Twitter account to derail Const. Kevin Benloss's disciplinary hearing allegations that police believe Benloss himself is part of.

The force announced Friday the criminal charges against Benloss sexual assault, assault, voyeurism and criminal harassment but chose not to name the accused officer "in order to protect the victim's privacy," police said.

The complainant is a former girlfriend who reported the allegations to police earlier this year.

Police allege Benloss sexually assaulted the former girlfriend in 2014, assaulted her in February of this year, filmed her without her consent and criminally harassed her over a period of about eight years.

CBC News has also learned Ottawa police last week executed multiple search warrants, alleging they expected to find evidence of other criminal offences.

All of those allegations are, according to sources, related to the operation of a now-deleted anonymous Twitter account during Benloss's disciplinary hearing.

The account itself was created in February 2021, but was tweeting in support of Benloss during his disciplinary hearing.

The warrants to search their electronic devices were executed on Benloss and two former Ottawa police officers last week, according to sources with knowledge of the investigation.

CBC News is not naming the other former police because they have not been charged with any related offences.

Ongoing disciplinary hearing

Benloss began a virtual disciplinary hearing earlier this year for misconduct offences that were laid after the first allegation of sexual assault was made against him. Those charges were laid in November 2020. The force is seeking his dismissal.

The service has alleged that Benloss acted in a manner likely to bring discredit on or harm the reputation of the service when on March 13, 2011, he "engaged in communication and/or physical and/or sexual contact towards a sworn member that you ought to have known was unwelcome, unwanted, offensive, intimidating, hostile or inappropriate."

He was also charged with one count of insubordination for allegedly breaching the force's respectful workplace policy, which governs how employees must treat each other.

The disciplinary tribunal has heard from police and civilian witnesses in the misconduct case, including the complainant.

The hearing has been marked by tense exchanges between the police prosecutors and Benloss's defence lawyer in the case, outbursts by the complainant and distractions introduced byobservers either supporting Benloss or the complainant.

In a human rights complaintshe originally filed against the entire police service, and again in her testimony, thiswoman alleged Benloss sexually assaulted her at his house when she was a rookie after a night out drinking with other police officers.

Benloss's defence lawyer, Peter Thorning, has instead argued that the sexual encounter was consensual and that the complainant created a narrative of sexual assault after the fact.

"I need to take a break because right now I'm going to kill this f-----g guy," she yelled minutes into her cross-examination, before she stormed out of the room in which she was being questioned about her work history.

The woman, who has been diagnosed with PTSD and remains off work, told the hearing when she returned"I'm not as experienced of a police officer as you may think. I get angry when I talk about my career."

Benloss has been suspended with pay since September 2020. He has been released on a promise to appear in criminal court on the new charges against him.

His police disciplinary hearing is scheduled to resume on Friday.

Support is available for anyone who has been sexually assaulted. You can access crisis lines and local support services through this Government of Canada website or the Ending Violence Association of Canada database. If you're in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.