Police chief elects trial by judge alone on sex charges involving girl, 17

BRIDGEWATER, N.S. - A Nova Scotia police chief facing sex charges involving a 17-yearold girl has elected to have the case heard in Supreme Court by judge alone. John Collyer of the Bridgewater police force will appear in provincial court next April for a preliminary hearing and - if he’s committed to stand trial - he will enter a plea once the matter lands in Supreme Court.

The case was briefly in Bridgewater provincial court today. The town’s police commission suspended Collyer on May 4 for 60 days with pay, the same day it was announced he was facing charges.

The 53-year-old had been placed on administrative leave last August after the province’s Serious Incident Response Team confirmed it was investigating the alleged sexual assault.

The independent police watchdog laid one charge of sexual assault and two charges of sexual exploitation against Collyer over allegations dating between April 1 and July 31 of last year. The girl was 17 at the time of the alleged offences in the Bridgewater area on Nova Scotia’s south shore.