Senior military officer facing sex charge, possible court martial

A senior officer in the Canadian military’s recruiting group has been charged with sexual assault, military police said Monday.

Canadian Forces National Investigation Service charged Lt.-Col. Daniel Mainguy on Sept. 12 with one count of sexual assault and one count of conduct to the prejudice of good order and discipline.

The charges have not been tested in a court.

Mainguy, a reserve force member who joined the Canadian military in 1984, is the senior staff officer for marketing and attractions with the Canadian Forces Recruiting Group.

Military police on June 6 started examining allegations of sexual misconduct, which through the course of the investigation revealed two separate, unrelated incidents allegedly involving Mainguy. The matter is proceeding within the military justice system for possible court martial at a date and location to be determined, police say.

Both incidents allegedly took place in the Borden area.

Meanwhile, the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service charged a master warrant officer with two counts of sexual assault.

Those charges were laid on Sept. 12 against Master Warrant Officer John Macpherson, a regular force member with Canadian Army Doctrine and Training Centre and currently based in Kingston, the

investigation service said Monday.

The charges are in response to incidents that took place during training in Gagetown, N.B., in 1988. They were originally reported to the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service in April 2016 and in July 2018. The allegations were investigated at the time of initial complaint but suspended due to insufficient evidence, according to military police. On July 11, 2018, the file was reopened, resulting in additional information.

The charges were laid for two distinct incidents involving the same alleged victim, according to military police.

The charges have not been tested in court. They could be heard at a court martial at a later date.

In all cases, the individuals charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty, noted the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service.