Mike on Crime

By Mike McIntyre
Winnipeg Free Press

A former Winnipeg police officer has been ordered to stand trial on charges he sexually assaulted and exploited 22 girls and women during his off-duty work as a photographer and talent scout.

Richard Dow learned Thursday his case will proceed to the Court of Queen’s Bench following a three-week preliminary hearing in provincial court. No dates have been set and Dow remains free on bail.

A court-ordered ban prevents specific evidence from the hearing being published.

Dow, 54, was arrested in November 2006 on 28 criminal charges, after several alleged victims came forward with complaints. More women emerged in January 2007 once news of Dow’s arrest became public. Police say the complainants ranged in age from 15 to 24.

Dow was suspended from duty but retired from the police service weeks later.

An unsealed search warrant previously obtained by the Free Press shows the case began in August 2005, when a police officer contacted the professional standards unit and claimed a friend of his had a 16-year-old daughter who was an aspiring model and hired the officer to take resumé photographs.

That led to a year-long internal investigation, which ended with officers seizing thousands of images, clothing and computer and camera equipment from Dow’s home-based business, Ricoco International.

Dow is accused of inappropriately touching some of the women and taking nude videos of under-18 girls, according to court documents. None of the charges has been proven in court and Dow is presumed innocent.

Dow had been operating the talent agency with the permission of the Winnipeg Police Service executive for a number of years. All police officers who have side businesses must first get approval from the chief.