Winnipeg police officer charged with sexual assault, extortion

WINNIPEG – Winnipeg police have charged one of their own with several serious offenses.

Const. Remi Van Den Driessche, 39, is charged with sexual assault, two counts of breach of trust, two counts of extortion and four counts of criminal harassment, the Winnipeg Police Service said in a news release Tuesday.

The alleged offences happened when Van Den Driessche was both on and off duty, police said. The police Professional Standards Unit began investigating Van Den Driessche in June 2013.

There was no further information on the circumstances of the alleged offences or when they occurred.

Van Den Driessche is on administrative leave “pending a review to determine his employment status,” police said.

He has been a member of the Winnipeg Police Service for nine years.