Former Regina Police Officer to Serve Community Sentence for Major Privacy Breach
Former Regina Police Service officer Robert Semenchuck has been sentenced to a two-year conditional sentence to be served in the community for a significant privacy breach that involved accessing confidential police files to pursue personal relationships with more than 30 women.
Court Decision and Sentencing Details
In a verbal decision delivered at Regina Provincial Court on Friday, Judge Marylynne Beaton imposed the sentence following a joint submission from Crown prosecutor Chris Browne and defence counsel Nicolas Brown. The 53-year-old former sergeant pleaded guilty in November to one count of breach of trust and one count of unauthorized use of a computer.
Judge Beaton stated that while Semenchuck's conduct was "illegal and immoral," she could not conclude that the proposed sentence was contrary to the public interest. She emphasized the court's obligation to align sentencing with existing case law, deliver appropriate punitive measures, and assess the offender's risk to the community.
Nature of the Offenses and Investigation
The investigation revealed that Semenchuck used an internal Regina Police Service database to obtain personal information of numerous women between 2015 and 2023. He then contacted 33 women using a false identity, with ten entering into personal and intimate relationships with him.
Some of the women were in police files as victims of other reported crimes, making the breach particularly egregious. Semenchuck was on paid leave for nearly two years during the investigation before resigning in April 2025 after charges were laid.
Conditions of the Conditional Sentence
The two-year conditional sentence includes several strict conditions:
- Six months of house arrest with electronic monitoring, followed by an overnight curfew
- No contact with victims directly or indirectly
- No possession of computers or smartphones with internet access
- No alcohol or drug use
- No firearm ownership
Mitigating Factors Considered
Defence counsel noted that the sentence considered several mitigating factors, including Semenchuck's guilty plea, his status as a first-time offender, and untreated mental health conditions at the time of the offenses. These conditions included anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
The case has drawn significant attention to police accountability and privacy protections within law enforcement agencies, particularly regarding access to sensitive personal information.
