KELOWNA — A former Okanagan RCMP officer who exchanged explicit messages with a victim of domestic violence has been given a conditional discharge and 12 months of probation for attempting to obstruct justice.
Former Kelowna Mountie Sean Eckland pleaded guilty in the case that began when he and another officer responded to a serious domestic assault in Lake Country, B.C., in 2018.
The B.C. Provincial Court ruling says they found a woman seriously injured, and her boyfriend was charged with aggravated assault, sexual assault, uttering threats and forcible confinement.
The ruling says Eckland and the victim, whose name is under a publication ban, began "sexting" in the months after the assault, with Eckland regularly using his personal device as he was not provided a work phone.
An agreed statement of facts says the woman's boyfriend became aware of the exchanges, resulting in a witness-tampering investigation, and Eckland eventually disclosed the inappropriate texts to a superior.
Judge Clarke Burnett sentenced Eckland on Tuesday, granting him a conditional discharge and placing him on probation for 12 months, finding he accepted responsibility for his actions and acknowledged what he did was wrong.
Eckland has since resigned from the RCMP, and the ruling says he's unemployed after an otherwise "exemplary policing career."
The ruling says Eckland suffers from post-traumatic stress and depression, and the case garnered intense media coverage that he won't be able to hide from.
"A simple Google search of his name will inevitably lead to a media story about the case. The granting of a discharge will not change this," the judge wrote.
"His actions have resulted in him suffering consequences. They include being charged with a number of criminal offences, being the subject of much media attention, having his children ridiculed, and losing his career as a police officer."
Eckland's probation terms require him to keep good behaviour, have no contact with the victim, complete 120 hours of community service and report to a probation officer as directed.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2025.
The Canadian Press
