Listen to this article
Estimated 2 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.
A former Regina police officer has pleaded guilty to using police databases to pursue intimate and personal relationships with women.
Robert Eric Semenchuck entered the plea in Regina Provincial Court on Friday. He did not speak during the brief appearance and did not answer questions shouted to him by reporters as he left court.
Semenchuck had worked for the Regina Police Service (RPS) for 22 years. Allegations were first brought to the service’s attention in early 2023, but it took until March of this year for then-Police Chief Farooq Sheikh to announce Semenchuck was being charged.
Police officials confirmed Semenchuck resigned from the RPS effective April 21, 2025.
Sheikh said the two years it took for charges to be laid were “out of the police control.”
It’s not clear how many people Semenchuk may have contacted. Some of the women were in court on Friday to hear Semenchuck enter his guilty plea.
RPS has confirmed to CBC that its investigation into Semenchuck concluded earlier this year. A specific date or month was not provided.
“That being said, we will always investigate any new information that is provided to police, no matter how long an investigation has been concluded,” a spokesperson said.
Sentencing has been scheduled for Jan. 23, 2026. A pre-sentencing report will be prepared for the court to review earlier that month.
Sgt. Robert Eric Semenchuck, a 22-year veteran of the Regina Police Service, is charged with breach of trust and unauthorized use of a computer.
In the wake of RPS finding out about Semenchuk’s conduct, the service said it instituted new policies to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
That includes an auditing process, additional training to enforce that this behaviour is unacceptable and a message that reminds anyone accessing the database that it should be used only for investigative purposes.
