Deputy Commander of Ottawa Regiment Charged With Sexual Misconduct

Members of the Canadian Armed Forces march at a parade in Calgary on July 8, 2016. (The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh)

A deputy commanding officer in a Canadian military reserve unit has been charged with sexual misconduct offences, The Epoch Times has learned.

Major Robert Baker of the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa is being investigated by the Carleton Place Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police.

Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) spokesperson Captain Nick Drescher Brown told The Epoch Times the military is fully cooperating in the investigation.

“The Canadian Armed Forces takes all sexual misconduct offences seriously, and administrative and disciplinary measures are available to the member’s Chain of Command, up to and including release from the Canadian Armed Forces,” he said.

As a reservist, Baker served part-time as the second-in-command of the Camerons, an infantry regiment. The major is a logistics officer by trade who has served with the CAF since 2007, the spokesperson said.

According to Sarah Kleinhempel, a supervisor for media issues at the Department of National Defence, Baker has not been parading with the unit or receiving pay since March 23, as the chain of command “evaluates available options.”

The Epoch Times attempted to reach Baker for comment, but didn’t hear back.

The CAF is undergoing an attempted cultural overhaul in order to stamp out sexual misconduct issues. Several cases and allegations implicating the top brass have surfaced in recent years, with the latest one ending in an acquittal.

Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin, who had faced one count of sexual assault laid in response to an alleged incident in 1988 at the Royal Military College in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que, was acquitted by a Quebec judge in December 2022.

In early 2023, the CAF announced it would not take administrative action against Fortin, as his commanding officer reviewed the case and concluded that “based on the balance of probabilities, he did not engage in sexual misconduct.”

Earlier this month, Fortin filed a $6-million lawsuit against the Canadian government over the case—naming 16 high-ranking officials including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau—accusing the officials of negligent investigation, inappropriate public disclosure of private facts, breach of confidence and conspiracy to cause damages.

Other Cases

In early 2021, media reports brought to light several allegations of sexual misconduct levied against high-ranking members of the CAF. In the span of eight months, a total of 13 current and former senior Canadian military officers were sidelined, investigated, or forced into retirement due to allegations of sexual misconduct.

In June 2022, former Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour released a report on sexual misconduct within the Canadian military. The report said a “deeply deficient culture” had allowed sexual misconduct to fester in the CAF.

The report gave 48 recommendations that seek to prevent and eradicate sexual harassment and misconduct in the CAF, including handing control of all sexual offence investigations to civilian police and courts.

Back in December 2022, Defence Minister Anita Anand unveiled a “roadmap” to reform the CAF’s culture amidst the sexual misconduct crisis. Anand said she accepted all 48 recommendations made by Arbour, adding that “substantive work” was underway on 17 of them.

Anand said the Department of National Defence and CAF would establish a working group to examine and update its internal policies so they are aligned with the Criminal Code of Canada, Canada Labour Code and Canadian Human Rights Act.