Ex-Mountie jailed for sex crime

A former Manitoba RCMP officer will spend nearly the next two years in jail for sexually exploiting and forcibly confining a young girl on a reserve community.

Benjamin Neufeldt, 26, was handed a sentence of two years less a day Thursday after pleading guilty to sex-related charges last fall.

'You cannot conceive of a more egregious breach of trust.'—Independent Crown attorney Robert Tapper

For the next 20 years, his name will also be placed on a federal database for sex-offenders.

He admitted to asking a 17-year-old girl to touch him sexually while he was in a position of trust over her and forcible confinement.

Independent Crown prosecutor Robert Tapper told CBC News the allegations stemmed from an incident on a reserve 200 kilometres north of Winnipeg in August 2008.

Neufeldt brought the teen victim to his home while on duty and attempted to sexually assault her, Tapper said. She managed to escape, and RCMP opened an investigation soon after.

Not long after his December 2008 arrest, Neufeldt resigned from the RCMP after  about two years of service. He fought the charges at a preliminary hearing but then elected to plead guilty.

"It was a sad case all around," Tapper said. "I'm hoping for this young lady that she can see some justice in the system … you cannot conceive of a more egregious breach of trust," he said.

Victim's bravery, RCMP investigation lauded

He credited the girl for fighting off the attack and escaping the officer's home.

"If not for that bravery, it would have been a much more serious outcome," he told CBC.

Tapper also credited RCMP, saying the federal force did "a very admirable job of investigating,"

Tapper sought a six-year prison term for Neufeldt, while his own lawyer was seeking about 2½ years behind bars.

Court of Queen's Bench Justice Karen Simonsen credited Neufeldt for two months of time already served. After his release, he will be on probation for a period of two years.

He will also have to submit a sample of his DNA for the national RCMP databank.