Canadian cop admits targeting dozens of women for intimate relationship using police databases
Robert Eric Semenchuck, 53, of the Regina Police Service in Saskatchewan is pictured above. Regina Police Service/
A seasoned Canadian police sergeant with more than two decades on the force has pleaded guilty to misusing a law enforcement database to pursue intimate relationships with approximately 30 women, including victims of domestic violence and one who was suicidal.
Robert Eric Semenchuck, 53, of the Regina Police Service in Saskatchewan, entered his guilty plea during a court appearance on Friday, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He is scheduled to be sentenced in January.
Authorities said Semenchuck, who received medals and commendations for his 22 years of service, accessed confidential records to locate, contact, and form relationships with women who had no knowledge of his position as a police officer. Court documents name at least 24 women, though sources suggest the number could be as high as 30.
Investigators reported that Semenchuck followed a consistent pattern. He would send messages under aliases such as “Jay Lewis” or “Steve Perkins,” often claiming the text was sent to the wrong number. The exchanges, which initially appeared casual, frequently escalated into prolonged messaging. Semenchuck reportedly presented himself as a contractor or project manager.
One woman, identified only as K, an Indigenous survivor of domestic abuse, said she received a text while staying in a women’s shelter. She described the message as a lifeline during a dark period, maintaining contact for four years before realizing in 2023 that he was not who he claimed to be. A facial-recognition check confirmed he was a police officer. “One of the first things that hit me was fear—fear of this person, his power and what he could do,” she told the Globe and Mail.
Another woman, C, recounted being contacted by someone identifying himself as Steve when she was 18. Their relationship lasted 18 months and included controlling behavior and pressure to send explicit photos. She described confusion and distress over being targeted.
Meghan Hillsdon, a disabled single mother recovering from spinal surgery and grieving her father’s death, responded to what she thought was a wrong-number message in December 2022, only to learn she had also been targeted.
H, another woman, said Semenchuck contacted her in his capacity as a police officer following a domestic violence incident in 2019, then continued sending late-night messages for months. “It was constant,” she said, noting her mother’s reaction: “That’s really inappropriate.”
Semenchuck resigned from the Regina Police Service in April. The Post has sought comment from his attorney.
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