A Toronto judge has sent a strong message to police about the consequences of violating the public trust, sentencing Det.-Const. Mandip Sandhu to 15 months in jail and two years’ probation for sexually assaulting a masseuse.

Sandhu was convicted in February of forcing a 44-year-old masseuse to perform oral sex on him while he was supposedly inspecting a North York spa.

Provincial Court Justice John Moore called the crime a “breach of trust” committed by an individual “who [pledged] to uphold the law.”

“Mr. Sandhu should have known that severe consequences would flow from his conduct. Other police officers need to know,” Moore said during sentencing Friday.

“The public has to trust that the court will do its part to ensure offences like this won’t happen again,” he said.

The maximum sentence for the offence is 18 months in jail when tried summarily.

The case marks a rare conviction for a police officer investigated by the province’s police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit. As a 2010 Star investigation found, at that time, SIU probes had resulted in only 16 criminal convictions in the previous 20 years. Just three officers had served jail time.

“Police sentences are notoriously below the norm. This one was above the norm,” said Toronto criminal defence lawyer Reid Rusonik, who was not involved in the case. “This is a true deterrent sentence. The cops will all hear about it.”

The SIU laid charges in September 2010, after the spa owner called in a complaint.

The victim testified that Sandhu appeared to be a customer when he rang the bell at the spa in June 2010. He identified himself as a police officer, flashed his badge and asked for her license information before requesting to see the second floor, she said.

Inside one of the massage rooms upstairs, she said he sat on the bed and unzipped his pants. His gun visible inside his open jacket, he commanded her to bend down and give him oral sex, she testified.

DNA from the face cloth she spat into afterward matched Sandhu’s, court heard.

However, Sandhu, a married 11-year police veteran, testified that he posed as a customer, hoping to catch her offering to perform a sex act.

After she made such an offer, the 37-year-old said he identified himself as a police officer, recorded her license information and went to check the upper floor. He said she followed him into one of the massage rooms, where he submitted to her advances due to a “lapse of judgment.”

Defence lawyer Harry Black argued the spa owner and masseuse made up the allegations to prevent a police investigation.

But according to Crown attorney Peter Scrutton, the judge concluded that this was a licensed establishment, and “the victim was completely blameless.”

“This was a particularly grave breach of trust,” Scrutton told the Star. “There’s never been a Toronto police officer with an allegation like this. This is very exceptional.”

The officer from 31 Division was suspended with pay when charges were laid. At sentencing, the defence said he would be suspended without pay.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

Toronto police would not comment on the case, or say whether Sandhu would lose his job.

Sandhu was also ordered to seek counselling as directed, and was prohibited from owning weapons or contacting the victim, whose identity is protected by a publication ban. His name will be added to the registry of sex offenders.

His family and counsel declined to speak with reporters at court on Friday.