A Sarnia police officer convicted in August of breach of trust in criminal court has voluntarily resigned as of Tuesday, negating the need for a disciplinary hearing under the Police Services Act, Sarnia police say.
A Sarnia police officer convicted in August of breach of trust in criminal court has voluntarily resigned as of Tuesday, negating the need for a disciplinary hearing under the Police Services Act, Sarnia police say.
Christopher Noordam was charged by the Special Investigations Unit with sexual assault and breach of trust in August 2021. On Aug. 4, nearly one year after the charges surfaced, the 45-year-old Sarnia native pleaded guilty to breach of trust and received a discharge conditional on completing one year of probation. The sexual assault charge was withdrawn.
Sarnia police told The Observer after the conviction they would resume its internal investigation under the Police Services Act and the results of that investigation would determine any appropriate penalty. To that point he’d been suspended from duty since Aug. 26, 2021.
But effective Tuesday, Sarnia police said Noordam has voluntarily resigned.
“He is no longer a police officer nor employed by the Sarnia Police Service in any capacity. As a result of his resignation, all Police Act proceedings are concluded and no further comments will be provided,” police said Tuesday in a statement.
More to come. In the meantime, here is the story The Observer ran on Aug. 4 online and Aug. 5 in print following Noordam’s conviction:
SARNIA COP CONVICTED OF BREACH OF TRUST
A Southwestern Ontario woman granted parole initially looked forward to meeting with Christopher Noordam, the Sarnia police officer supervising her release, each week.
She enjoyed meeting with the veteran constable in a private room at Sarnia police headquarters as he was supportive of her and took an interest in her personal life.
“You even invited my (husband) and I to your church at one time,” she recalled Thursday in a Sarnia courtroom.
But that all changed when, at the end of one meeting, Noordam reached into her unzipped winter jacket and touched her breast – she’s a breast cancer survivor – over her clothes. This happened over and over again for more than three years.
“You violated that trust by inappropriately touching me on many occasions,” she continued. “To say that I feel betrayed is an understatement.”
A Southwestern Ontario judge pointed out the woman, who repeatedly told him to stop, had to make a choice: report this behavior and risk Noordam pulling her parole and sending her back to jail, or protect her sexual integrity.
“That’s a terrible position for somebody to be in,” Justice Sharon Murphy said.
Initially reluctant, the woman, through the encouragement of her family, eventually went to her former parole officer in London to report what’d been happening. The Forest City officer relayed this information to the Special Investigations Unit and the province’s police watchdog launched an investigation in June 2021.
Noordam was charged with sexual assault and breach of trust two months later.
On Thursday, nearly one year after the charges surfaced, the 45-year-old Sarnia native pleaded guilty to breach of trust and received a discharge conditional on completing one year of probation. The sexual assault charge was withdrawn.
Murphy, a Windsor-based judge brought in to avoid a conflict of interest with the Sarnia police, called it a tough case as police officers are in one of the highest positions of trust.
“When we are sentencing individuals (such as yourself) we almost are in a position where we have to start at jail,” she said to Noordam.
But along with pleading guilty and accepting responsibility, there was another key factor that not only kept Noordam out of jail, but allowed him to maintain his clean criminal record as long as he finishes his probation.
His brain injury.
Noordam, less than one year into his career as a Sarnia police officer, was hit by a drunk driver while on duty on Aug. 31, 2003. The Petrolia high school grad suffered what defense lawyer Lucas O’Hara said was a severe and traumatic brain injury and, after waking up from a coma, had to endure an extensive rehab process.
“Including learning how to talk again,” O’Hara said.
Noordam returned to work in December 2004, but was unable to perform the duties of a patrol officer due to his brain injury. He was assigned an administrative role, which eventually included supervising speeches.
“There is a nexus between Mr. Noordam’s offending behavior and his neurocognitive disorder,” O’Hara said.
An updated assessment after the charges surfaced showed he was still suffering from cognitive impairment tied to the decades-old injury. An expert in the report said the impairment can lead to a loss of impulse control and inappropriate behavior in social settings.
The judge called it an organic problem as opposed to an intentional misuse of his position of trust, which impacted how she assessed his moral blameworthiness.
“It does not absolve you of responsibility,” Murphy added.
The judge also pointed to the long-lasting effects the repeated unwanted touching has had on the woman.
“The pain has been raw and excruciating – and more than I can bear at times,” she told the court while reading her victim-impact statement.
She recalled feeling like she had to wear a “suit of armour” to their weekly meetings to try to avoid his unwanted advances. One of her tactics was keeping her winter jacket zipped up and wearing a purse with a cross strap in an attempt to deter him.
But he still unzipped her jacket and briefly touched her breast on multiple occasions, the court heard.
The first time he touched her was at the conclusion of a meeting where she revealed she’d been receiving treatment for breast cancer. At the end of the meeting Noordam hugged her in a friendly manner.
“While hugging the complainant, however, Const. Noordam reached his hand inside her unzipped winter jacket and briefly cupped her left breast over her clothing,” Crown attorney Andrew Cappell said while reading an agreed statement of facts. “The complainant recalls Const. Noordam telling her, ‘It feels fine to me.’”
She left the office that day in a state of shock.
The woman also recalled feeling humiliated, shocked and degraded at the end of another meeting when, while hugging her, he slapped her buttocks in front of her husband. The woman said what he did has impacted her marriage and ability to trust people.
“Your cruel, selfish actions will be with me for the rest of my life,” she said while breaking down crying. “No amount of time or therapy will ever undo the damage you have caused me.”
Cappell, a Toronto-based Crown also brought in to avoid a conflict of interest, called Noordam’s conduct disgraceful.
“Disgraceful to the offender and disgraceful to the office that he holds,” he said.
But Cappell also gave Noordam credit for pleading guilty and owning up to what he did as it would have been a difficult case to prove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial, noting there were no witnesses or video evidence.
“It is very difficult to do so when a case essentially comes down to one person’s word against another,” he said.
Noordam, a devout Christian and married father of two teens who turns 46 later this month, briefly addressed the court.
“I’d personally just like to apologize to the complainant in this matter,” he said.
The son of a police officer also apologized to his family and friends and thanked them for their support.
“And lastly, I want to apologize to the (Sarnia) police service,” he said.
O’Hara said his client will likely have a disciplinary hearing under the Police Services Act and faces the real possibility of being fired.
“He will, in all likelihood, never been in a position of trust as a police officer again,” he said.
A Sarnia police spokesperson said Thursday newly appointed Chief Derek Davis has directed an internal investigation to resume now that the court case has concluded.
“The results of that investigation will determine any appropriate penalty and subsequent process,” Const. Giovanni Sottosanti said via email. “Const. Noordam remains under administrative suspension at this time.”
Noordam has been on administrative leave, with pay, since the charges surfaced. Police chiefs in Ontario can’t suspend officers without pay even when criminal charges surface.
Noordam is a first-class constable who earned nearly $112,000 in salary in 2021, according to sunshineliststats.com.
Mike Bradley, chairperson of the Sarnia police service’s board, said Thursday the responsibility of any hearings and potential discipline lie with the chief, per the act.
O’Hara filed nine character-reference letters to the court supporting his client and pointed out he’s heavily involved in his church community, often volunteering and leading bible studies. Noordam attended Wyoming’s Peoples Church, according to a 2013 story in The Observer on the local fallout of the killing of Ancaster resident Tim Bosma, who was abducted while going on a test drive with two men. Bosma was Noordam’s brother-in-law.
Noordam was the third Sarnia police officer to face criminal charges between August 2020 and August 2021. One officer was charged with break and enter to commit mischief, but that charge was tossed out in June 2021. Another officer was charged with forgery and attempted fraud, but it was cleared in October 2021.
Over in London, the Ontario Court of Appeal recently quashed a police officer’s conviction for criminal negligence causing death in the 2016 custody death of an Indigenous woman, but ruled a second conviction of failing to provide the necessaries of life will stand.