Trial dates have been set for a former Central Okanagan RCMP officer charged with sexual assault.
Chad Lincoln Vance, 49, will have a four-day trial, taking place from Aug. 31 through Sept. 3.
An out-of-town judge and Crown prosecutor will be assigned to the case to avoid conflict due to Vance’s RCMP connection.
Vance was an officer with the RCMP’s Southeast District General Investigation Section but was suspended with pay following the charge.
While the circumstances leading to the charge are unclear, Vance is alleged to have committed the sexual assault against a Kelowna resident in July 2015.
“Cst. Vance is currently suspended with pay and his duty status is subject to continual review and assessment. Internal code of conduct processes have been initiated and are currently underway,” said Staff-Sgt. Janelle Shoihet of the BC RCMP in a Dec. 18 release.
“Prior to his suspension Cst. Vance was posted to the Southeast District General Investigation Section, not the Kelowna Detachment.”
Vance is next scheduled to appear in court on July 3 for a pre-trial conference.
READ MORE: Ex-Mountie faces civil lawsuit over alleged explicit photo request
READ MORE: Kelowna RCMP officer suspended after allegedly sexting assault victim
Charges against Vance came after a Kelowna RCMP officer was placed under investigation for allegedly sending sexually explicit text messages to a victim in a case he was investigating.
Another Kelowna RCMP officer, Brian Mathew Burkett, was charged in July with seven counts of breach of trust after allegedly attempting to pursue relationships and requesting lewd photos from other victims.
The entire Kelowna RCMP detachment came under fire in October after a story published by Kelowna Capital News revealed nearly 40 per cent of reported sexual assault cases were deemed unfounded in 2018.
That number is more than double the 15 per cent average across the province and dwarfs the under five per cent averages in Vancouver and Victoria.
In November the Kelowna RCMP said it could not provide an explanation as to why so many cases were deemed unfounded, however the national office said its Sexual Assault Review Team would investigate.
On Jan. 23, the Kelowna RCMP said it has completed the internal review, however, the results will not be made public for several more weeks.
READ MORE: Kelowna RCMP completes internal review of sexual assault cases deemed ‘unfounded’
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