Windsor police officer pleads guilty to harassment, indecent communications
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A Windsor police officer accused of making harassing phone calls to a colleague pleaded guilty in Windsor court on Wednesday.
Const. Joshua Smith was in court on a harassment charge, as well as one for indecent communications, stemming from incidents in September 2023.
Smith appeared in court with lawyer Shane Miles.
In an agreed statement, assistant crown attorney Heather McIntyre said Smith phoned a woman repeatedly over a two-week period, each time not saying anything but moaning and breathing heavily.
The victim made recordings of some of the phone calls, some of which lasted several minutes, and reported the calls to police.
McIntyre said that because the calls came in when the victim was not at work, she believed the person knew her work schedule. The court heard the victim was also employed by the Windsor Police Service.
Smith was arrested on Sept. 25, 2023, and charged with three offences — harassment, indecent communications and harassing communications.
Miles, Smith's lawyer, confirmed his client pleaded guilty to two charges but could not comment on the third. He said his client did not have a statement to offer while the matter was before the courts.
In a statement, a Windsor police spokesperson said the service "acknowledges that one of our members, Const. Joshua Smith, has pleaded guilty to criminal harassment and indecent telecommunication."
"Const. Smith now faces one charge of discreditable conduct in accordance with the Police Services Act, the legislation that was in effect at the time of the allegations," said Gary Francoeur in a written statement.
"He has been suspended with pay since September 2023, under the provisions of the legislation governing police conduct in Ontario."
When the charges were first reported by Windsor police in September 2023, two days after his arrest, police said the incidents occurred while Smith was off duty and that Smith had been a member of the police service for five years.
Smith is expected back in court on June 23.
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