Latest news with #SeanEckland
Toronto Sun
23-05-2025
- Toronto Sun
Probation for ex-Mountie, convicted of obstruction after 'sexting' victim
Published May 23, 2025 • 1 minute read File photo of an RCMP cruiser. KELOWNA — A former Okanagan RCMP officer who exchanged explicit messages with a victim of domestic violence has been given a conditional discharge and 12 months of probation for attempting to obstruct justice. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Former Kelowna Mountie Sean Eckland pleaded guilty in the case that began when he and another officer responded to a serious domestic assault in Lake Country, B.C., in 2018. The B.C. Provincial Court ruling says they found a woman seriously injured, and her boyfriend was charged with aggravated assault, sexual assault, uttering threats and forcible confinement. The ruling says Eckland and the victim, whose name is under a publication ban, began 'sexting' in the months after the assault, with Eckland regularly using his personal device as he was not provided a work phone. An agreed statement of facts says the woman's boyfriend became aware of the exchanges, resulting in a witness-tampering investigation, and Eckland eventually disclosed the inappropriate texts to a superior. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Judge Clarke Burnett sentenced Eckland on Tuesday, granting him a conditional discharge and placing him on probation for 12 months, finding he accepted responsibility for his actions and acknowledged what he did was wrong. Eckland has since resigned from the RCMP, and the ruling says he's unemployed after an otherwise 'exemplary policing career.' The ruling says Eckland suffers from post-traumatic stress and depression, and the case garnered intense media coverage that he won't be able to hide from. 'A simple Google search of his name will inevitably lead to a media story about the case. The granting of a discharge will not change this,' the judge wrote. 'His actions have resulted in him suffering consequences. They include being charged with a number of criminal offences, being the subject of much media attention, having his children ridiculed, and losing his career as a police officer.' Eckland's probation terms require him to keep good behaviour, have no contact with the victim, complete 120 hours of community service and report to a probation officer as directed. Toronto Maple Leafs Columnists World Toronto Maple Leafs Editorial Cartoons
Global News
23-05-2025
- Global News
Former Kelowna Mountie handed probation in ‘sexting' case
A former Okanagan RCMP officer who exchanged explicit messages with a victim of domestic violence has been given a conditional discharge and 12 months of probation for attempting to obstruct justice. Former Kelowna Mountie Sean Eckland pleaded guilty in the case that began when he and another officer responded to a serious domestic assault in Lake Country, B.C., in 2018. The B.C. Provincial Court ruling says they found a woman seriously injured, and her boyfriend was charged with aggravated assault, sexual assault, uttering threats and forcible confinement. The ruling says Eckland and the victim, whose name is under a publication ban, began 'sexting' in the months after the assault, with Eckland regularly using his personal device as he was not provided a work phone. An agreed statement of facts says the woman's boyfriend became aware of the exchanges, resulting in a witness-tampering investigation, and Eckland eventually disclosed the inappropriate texts to a superior. Story continues below advertisement 2:20 Sentencing wraps in assault case tied to alleged RCMP misconduct Judge Clarke Burnett sentenced Eckland on Tuesday, granting him a conditional discharge and placing him on probation for 12 months, finding he accepted responsibility for his actions and acknowledged what he did was wrong. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Eckland has since resigned from the RCMP, and the ruling says he's unemployed after an otherwise 'exemplary policing career.' The ruling says Eckland suffers from post-traumatic stress and depression, and the case garnered intense media coverage that he won't be able to hide from. 'A simple Google search of his name will inevitably lead to a media story about the case. The granting of a discharge will not change this,' the judge wrote. 'His actions have resulted in him suffering consequences. They include being charged with a number of criminal offences, being the subject of much media attention, having his children ridiculed, and losing his career as a police officer.' Story continues below advertisement Eckland's probation terms require him to keep good behaviour, have no contact with the victim, complete 120 hours of community service and report to a probation officer as directed. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2025.
CBC
23-05-2025
- CBC
Ex-Kelowna RCMP officer who sexted assault victim gets conditional discharge, no criminal record
A former Kelowna, B.C., RCMP officer, who admitted to sending sexually explicit messages to a victim of domestic assault, has been granted a conditional discharge and placed on probation for 12 months. Sean Eckland, who served with the national police force from 2006 to 2024, pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to obstruct justice, after the messages were used by the victim's assailant to benefit his case. Eckland, 50, was the lead investigator on a domestic assault case in 2018 when he began exchanging sexually explicit messages with the victim over several months and sent her a photo of his penis, according to an agreed statement of facts included in his sentencing decision. Eckland later asked the victim, who cannot be identified due to a publication ban, to delete their text messages. He also failed to disclose their communication to his superiors or the lawyers prosecuting the victim's case, the statement of facts says. "Eckland's actions in commencing the texting relationship ... and then failing to disclose it to his superiors was a serious lapse in his judgment," wrote Kelowna provincial court Judge Clarke Burnett in his decision this week. "Eckland has broken the trust the community placed in him as a police officer." No criminal record Eckland, who joined the RCMP in 2006, resigned from the force last year. The conditional discharge means he will not have a criminal record. Burnett said while Eckland's actions were "serious," they did not rise to the same level as other officers who've committed similar offences. "Society is better served by allowing Mr. Eckland the opportunity to move forward without the weight of a criminal record on his shoulder[s]," Burnett said. "His ability to return to being a valued and contributing member of his community will not be hampered as a result." Impact on assault case Eckland's inappropriate relationship with the victim was first reported by Global News. The victim's boyfriend, who was charged with aggravated assault, sexual assault, uttering threats and forcible confinement, became aware of the sexting and used that information to apply to get his guilty pleas withdrawn, according to the statement of facts. The court granted the boyfriend's application and he was able to change his initial aggravated assault and unlawful confinement pleas, to aggravated assault and uttering threats. Other charges against him were stayed. In Eckland's trial, the Crown asked the judge for a jail sentence of three to six months to be served in the community. But Burnett said there were several mitigating factors that led to the lesser sentence, including that Eckland was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at the time of the offence. The court heard that Eckland was diagnosed with PTSD in 2016 and continues to get treatment for it. "I have been provided with medical evidence that supports a finding that his decision-making at the time was greatly impacted by this medical condition. This medical finding diminishes his moral blameworthiness," Burnett said.
Winnipeg Free Press
23-05-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Probation for ex-Mountie, convicted of obstruction after ‘sexting' violence victim
KELOWNA – A former Okanagan RCMP officer who exchanged explicit messages with a victim of domestic violence has been given a conditional discharge and 12 months of probation for attempting to obstruct justice. Former Kelowna Mountie Sean Eckland pleaded guilty in the case that began when he and another officer responded to a serious domestic assault in Lake Country, B.C., in 2018. The B.C. Provincial Court ruling says they found a woman seriously injured, and her boyfriend was charged with aggravated assault, sexual assault, uttering threats and forcible confinement. The ruling says Eckland and the victim, whose name is under a publication ban, began 'sexting' in the months after the assault, with Eckland regularly using his personal device as he was not provided a work phone. An agreed statement of facts says the woman's boyfriend became aware of the exchanges, resulting in a witness-tampering investigation, and Eckland eventually disclosed the inappropriate texts to a superior. Judge Clarke Burnett sentenced Eckland on Tuesday, granting him a conditional discharge and placing him on probation for 12 months, finding he accepted responsibility for his actions and acknowledged what he did was wrong. Eckland has since resigned from the RCMP, and the ruling says he's unemployed after an otherwise 'exemplary policing career.' The ruling says Eckland suffers from post-traumatic stress and depression, and the case garnered intense media coverage that he won't be able to hide from. 'A simple Google search of his name will inevitably lead to a media story about the case. The granting of a discharge will not change this,' the judge wrote. 'His actions have resulted in him suffering consequences. They include being charged with a number of criminal offences, being the subject of much media attention, having his children ridiculed, and losing his career as a police officer.' Eckland's probation terms require him to keep good behaviour, have no contact with the victim, complete 120 hours of community service and report to a probation officer as directed. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2025.
