Central Alberta RCMP officer charged with sexual assault pleads innocence

RED DEER, Alta. — A central Alberta RCMP officer charged with two counts of sexual assault as well as breach of trust has pleaded not guilty.

The plea on behalf of Const. Jason Tress was made by an agent in  Red Deer court.

Tress, who is 30 and an eight-year member of the force, faces three separate accusations by different women between 2012 and 2016.

Two of the alleged cases happened while he was on duty — one at the Red Deer RCMP detachment and the other in rural Alberta.

Tress was suspended last August, a month after an investigation began, and will remain off-duty until his charges are resolved.

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He has been elected to be tried by judge alone, and a preliminary hearing is set for next May.

There’s been no indication whether the charges involve women who were being held in custody.

Tress was charged in March after an investigation by the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team police watchdog.

(RD News Now, The Canadian Press)

The Canadian Press