A veteran OPP officer who pleaded guilty to mischief and willfully obstructing a woman's e-mail account has managed to avoid jail time.
48-year-old Claude Montfort was a constable in Terrace Bay when the offences occurred between 2005 and 2007. Court heard Montfort accessed the victim's computer account on 23 occasions, changed her passwords and sent malicious e-mails containing personal details. Several of the incidents occurred while Montfort was on police duty.
His lawyer had been seeking a conditional discharge, but the judge agreed with the Crown and registered a conviction on both charges. However, the judge handed down a suspended sentence, meaning Montfort will not spend any time in custody. He was also given three years probation, a $500 fine and was ordered to stay away from the victim and not use the Internet.
Now that his criminal case has been dealt with, Montfort will next be facing a Police Services Act investigation. He's been on sick leave from the OPP since 2007.
