Former Chatham-Kent police officer Ken Miller has been sentenced to 60 days in jail after pleading guilty to one count of breach of trust.
The 47-year-old married man learned his fate in a Chatham courtroom Friday.
Miller pleaded guilty to breach of trust in October 2017 but a sexual assault charge was withdrawn in connection with an incident involving an intoxicated woman in a parking lot while he was on duty. The court heard he was giving her a ride home when it happened. He has also resigned from the police force.
Miller will serve his time in protective custody on weekends at the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre, will be on probation for 18 months and must stay away from the victim, who now lives in Vancouver and works as a nurse.
Crown Attorney Jason Nicol says Miller’s guilty plea is a sign of remorse and dropping the charges will spare the victim from testifying.
He also says Miller violated his police oath and public trust, adding that "no one is above the law."
In a victim impact statement, the victim’s mother called Miller a "monster" and says that he crushed her daughter’s dreams and broke her heart.
The victim says she felt shame and humiliation after the incident and feared Miller would find her. She says she lost trust in male police officers and to this day feels sick to her stomach when she has to interact with police. She also says she moved to Vancouver because she couldn't live in the same town as Miller.
Miller was also facing one count of sexual assault and one count of breach of trust in connection with a separate incident, but those charges have been dropped. Nicol says it would not be in the best interest to pursue those charges after Miller's sentencing Friday.
Miller begins serving his time March 24.
