B.C. Mountie accused of sex offences involving minors pleads not guilty
The trial is underway for an RCMP officer who allegedly exposed himself to girls as young as 15 as they walked home from school on Vancouver’s west side.
Andrew James Seangio, 37, pleaded not guilty to 10 counts relating to indecent exposure and public masturbation for incidents alleged to have taken place between August 2018 and March 2019.
More than two years after his arrest, Seangio's trial began Monday at B.C. Supreme Court in downtown Vancouver.
Seangio sat quietly in the courtroom as Crown prosecutors explained the accusations to the jury. He’s accused of driving up to schoolgirls as they walked home from York House School and Little Flower Academy – two private schools in Vancouver’s Shaughnessy neighbourhood – then exposing his genitals and touching himself before driving away.
The first witness on the stand was Det. Blake Chersinoff, one of the lead investigators on the case.
Following initial reports of a man exposing himself to children in the area, Chersinoff said the Vancouver Police Department held safety presentations at both schools and established a tip line. Shortly after, several victims came forward, and while none of them could provide a strong suspect description, Chersinoff said one of the girls took note of the vehicle make and model, along with the licence plate number.
Investigators confirmed the vehicle belonged to Andrew Seangio, a constable with the Richmond RCMP.
Seangio is also accused of exposing himself to a pair of undercover police officers who were walking through the Shaughnessy area dressed in girls’ school uniforms as part of the investigation.
Seangio joined the Richmond RCMP in 2016, and is currently suspended with pay. A spokesperson for the B.C. RCMP said his duty status is “subject to continuous review and assessment.”
He also faces 37 charges in Ottawa relating to sexual assault and voyeurism prior to the alleged offences in Vancouver.
None of the allegations against Seangio have been proven in court.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.