Ex-Cop Pleads Guilty to Using Police Databases to Pursue Dozens of Women for Relationships

A former Canadian police sergeant has pleaded guilty to misusing a law-enforcement database to seek intimate relationships with roughly 30 women, including several who had experienced domestic violence.

According to CBC News, CTV News and the Regina Leader-Post, 53-year-old Robert Eric Semenchuck — a 22-year veteran of the Regina Police Service in Saskatchewan — entered guilty pleas on Friday, Nov. 21, to one count of breach of trust and one count of unauthorized use of a computer.

Regina police said when charges were laid in March that Semenchuck accessed protected records to identify women, contact them, and pursue relationships. Investigators allege that some of the women did not know he was a police officer.

The Globe and Mail reported in June that as many as 30 women may have been involved. Women interviewed by the paper said Semenchuck allegedly used aliases such as “Jay Lewis” or “Steve Perkins,” introducing himself by text as a contractor or project manager. The conversations reportedly escalated into frequent, ongoing messaging that in some cases stretched over years.

One woman identified only as “K” told The Globe and Mail that she first received an unexpected message while staying in a women’s shelter as she recovered from domestic abuse. She said the text felt like a “lifeline” at a vulnerable point in her life, and the two continued messaging for four years before she began questioning his identity in 2023.

“I was like, ‘Do I really know this guy?’ ” she recalled.

K said she later ran a photo he had sent her through facial-recognition software and found an image of Semenchuck in police gear. She described feeling immediate fear over his authority and potential power. After that discovery, she contacted police, triggering an internal investigation that lasted about two years, the outlet reported.

Another woman, identified as “C,” said she received a message from a man calling himself “Steve,” and the relationship continued for more than a year. She told the paper that he grew controlling and demanding, repeatedly pressuring her to send explicit photos.

“How did he know who I was? Why did he choose me?” she asked.

When Semenchuck was charged in March, then-Police Chief Farooq Sheikh said he had resigned from the force effective April 21. Sheikh also acknowledged the impact allegations like these can have on public trust, while emphasizing the service’s responsibility to address misconduct.

CBC News reported that Regina police have since introduced new safeguards to prevent similar abuse of the database. The changes include stronger auditing, additional training, and on-screen reminders that the system may be used only for investigative purposes.

A judge set Semenchuck’s sentencing for Jan. 23. CBC News said as many as 20 victim impact statements are expected at the hearing.