A senior Vancouver police officer who worked with vulnerable women and children is off the job but still earning a paycheque despite facing several charges for sex crimes.

As part of his job with the Vancouver Police Department, Det. Const. James Fisher was frequently in the public eye for his work with young women victimized in the sex trade.

But yesterday, the VPD announced that one of the men behind several anti-exploitation investigations is now under investigation himself.

Fisher has been charged with three counts of sexual exploitation alleged to have taken place between August and December 2015.

Documents from the Criminal Justice Branch showed that he has also been charged with one count of sexual assault, breaching trust by "sexually touching a witness in a criminal prosecution" and attempting to obstruct justice by providing false or misleading information to a Burnaby RCMP officer

The obstruction charge stems from an incident in November this year, while he was still on the job and quietly under investigation.

Chief Adam Palmer said there are two alleged victims, one adult and one minor, but few details have been released about the case due to a publication ban. None of the allegations have been proven in court.

The day after the news broke, CTV News learned that Fisher has been suspended from the force with pay, and his VPD colleagues are examining files the detective has worked on.

Fisher worked with the force's counter-exploitation unit at the time the offences are alleged to have occurred, and he was known to members of some women's rights groups.

Daisy Kler from the Vancouver Rape Relief & Women's Shelter said her organization had had some dealings with Fisher in the past.

"I was shocked to hear such a high-level officer to be charged the way he was," she said.

Kler said she hoped the cases he's worked on in the past would stick, but also suggested that forces reevaluate how police officers are screened and monitored.

Fisher, who also spent time volunteering with girls' hockey teams in the Tri-Cities area, is out on bail while he awaits his next court appearance in January.

CTV News attempted to get in touch with Fisher, who is out on bail, but he did not answer his door.

With a report from CTV Vancouver's Sheila Scott