By Sheldon Spackman

Alleged Off-Duty Assault

Trial underway for former Mountie accused of sexually assaulting colleague

Dec 1, 2020 | 4:26 PM

A four-day trial began in Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench on Tuesday for a former RCMP officer accused of sexually assaulting a colleague at a social gathering more than eight years ago.

Jason Andrew Tress, 34, is charged with one count of sexual assault in the March 1, 2012 alleged incident which took place in Faust, Alberta, near High Prairie where Tress was stationed at the time.

The complainant, whose name is protected under a publication ban, testified Tuesday morning that the incident took place at her residence, where she was hosting a party for a fellow officer who was soon to be transferred to another detachment.

Testifying through CCTV from Quebec, the woman said the party was attended by several off-duty RCMP members and their spouses.

The woman, currently a constable with the RCMP, admitted to drinking alcohol that night and becoming intoxicated.

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She told court that at some point during the evening she was escorted by Tress and another woman to her bedroom, before that woman soon left to get her an Advil.

“I remember closing my eyes,” she recalled. “Then I remember opening my eyes and Constable Tress had his mouth on my left breast. I remember it being wet.”

The woman, who was in her early 20s at the time, testified that her shirt had been pulled down, but did not consent to the activity.

“We weren’t in a romantic relationship,” she explained. “He was a friend. This isn’t something I thought he would do to me.”

After testifying that she and Tress addressed the incident soon afterwards in the days that followed, the woman says she initially just wanted to put the incident behind her.

“I remember him being remorseful so that we could move on and work together,” said the complainant.

However, after recounting the incident to a superior at the High Prairie Detachment, the woman felt her intentions were misunderstood by the detachment’s Staff Sergeant.

“I did not want to pursue an investigation,” she explained. “It wasn’t something I felt needed to be investigated at the time. I did not want to create problems or create waves.”

Roughly a year later, the woman says Tress was transferred to Red Deer.

On July 15, 2016, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) was directed to commence an investigation into a serious and sensitive allegation of sexual assault on a woman involving an RCMP officer.

During the investigation, two additional and unrelated incidents came to light and spawned two more investigations.

As such, on March 29, 2017, Constable Jason Tress, a member of the Red Deer RCMP at the time, was arrested and charged with one count of sexual assault and one count of criminal breach of trust arising out of the initial investigation involving one woman, relating to an incident in 2016.

Tress was eventually given a six-month conditional sentence in January, 2020 in relation to the charges.

Tress was also charged in March, 2017 with one count of breach of trust in relation to a separate incident and woman unrelated to the previous two counts, but which also occurred in 2016. Tress was later cleared of that charge in June, 2019.

However, after learning of the additional incidents involving Tress, the woman admits she then felt it was time to speak up.

“What happened to me wasn’t an isolated incident,” said the complainant. “When I learned there were other investigations with female victims, I felt it was important to provide a statement.”

The complainant underwent defense cross-examination Tuesday afternoon.

The Crown plans to call a second witness during the trial, which is slated to run through Friday.