A photo-radar supervisor who posed as a police officer the night he sexually assaulted a young woman he pulled over in a traffic stop has been convicted on four charges.
Paul Derksen, 53, was found guilty Tuesday of kidnapping, sexual assault, bribery of officers and breach of trust.
Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Adam Germain said he was satisfied that Derksen masqueraded as a police officer that night to guarantee the docile compliance of the complainant.
“Mr. Derksen was looking for an opportunity to pray on a vulnerable naive person that evening,” Germain said. “He came upon the complainant, a young Indigenous woman driving alone late at night and having consumed some alcohol.
“This was not a consensual act. This was a crime of sexual assault.”
At the one-day trial on Monday, the 27-year-old complainant, who can’t be identified because of a publication ban, testified that Derksen was in uniform when he pulled her over on her way home from a party on June 4, 2017.
She said Derksen warned her she could be charged with drunk driving, but instead offered her a ride then demanded oral sex.
Derksen testified he flagged down her vehicle that night as a concerned citizen because it was swerving. He said he told the woman he was off duty and offered her a ride because she didn’t have another lift or cab fare. Sexual contact was consensual, he said.
‘Simply defies reality’
Germain used the words “preposterous” and “beyond belief” and “ridiculous” as he picked apart Derksen’s version of events.
He questioned why Derksen tried to stop the vehicle rather than calling police, or how he determined the woman had been drinking too much to drive but was sober enough to engage in sexual contact.
“The suggestion that all of this happened because Mr. Derksen was a good Samaritan is impossible to accept,” Germain said. “I am unable to accept the version presented by Mr. Derksen. It simply defies reality.”
Derksen saw an opportunity through the implicit power of the uniform to make an assessment about whether “he could pursue possible sexual activity with her,” the judge said.
“Even if his evidence about allowing her to phone for rides is true, he wanted to see the depth of her support network and he wanted to see how vulnerable she was,” Germain said.
“I listened carefully to the tortured evidence presented by the complainant. I view her both to be credible and reliable witness on the key details,” said Germain, adding the woman believed Derksen was a police officer and thought she had no choice.
Derksen, who is not in custody, is scheduled to be sentenced Friday.