A former Ottawa police officer is accused of sending inappropriate text messages to an underage teen girl. It wasn’t until another officer was assigned the same phone that the messages were discovered. (QMI Agency file photo)

OTTAWA -- An Ottawa police officer accused of “sexting” with a teenage girl from his force-issued mobile phone retired before internal charges could be laid against him, according to documents.

The officer, who was not named by police, sent 34 “inappropriate text messages” that were saved on a cellphone.

It wasn’t until another officer was assigned the same phone that the messages were discovered. They were reported to the internal affairs unit and a chief’s complaint was launched.

“A review of 34 messages indicated that an inappropriate relationship may have existed between the officer and a female under the age of 18. Several messages were of an explicit sexual nature,” states a report that was to be tabled at the police board meeting Monday evening.

“Officers texting pornography to anybody is disgusting but in particular to people under the age of 18 and ... (using) our equipment is disgusting,” said Chief Vern White Monday. “It makes me want to vomit. It’s true. Every bit of that.”

In June, police forwarded a complaint to the Special Investigations Unit, an arm’s-length civilian organization that investigates police criminal misconduct.

Police alleged a sexual assault may have happened.

No criminal charges came as a result of the SIU investigation.

The internal investigation continued to see if the officer’s conduct was inappropriate.

“A review of the officer’s conduct was completed and misconduct was identified however, prior to proceeding with Police Services Act charges, the officer retired from the service,” states the report.

No further action is being taken against the former Ottawa police officer.

As for not naming the officer, White said it comes down to privacy laws.

“If we had charged him under the PSA (Police Services Act) I could release his name but because we didn’t charge him under the PSA, they (SIU) didn’t charge him criminally, I can’t release his name,” said White.

kenneth.jackson@sunmedia.ca