York police officer sentenced to 16 months for sexual assault

A 34-year-old York Regional police officer has been sentenced to 16 months in jail after being found guilty of sexual assault.

Constable Young Min Von Seefried received his sentence Wednesday, three months after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a person during a traffic stop in January 2015.

Following an inquest by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Von Seefried was charged in June 2015 and immediately suspended with pay.

Under the Police Services Act, pay cannot be withheld from a suspended officer unless they are convicted of an offence and sentenced to a term of imprisonment.

York Regional Police Chief Eric Jolliffe has now suspended Von Seefried without pay.

“It is extremely disappointing to have one of our officers charged and convicted criminally. However, it is by no means a reflection on the hard-working men and women of York Regional Police, who are professional, dedicated and do their jobs every day with integrity and respect,” said Chief Jolliffe in a media release. “We want to assure our community York Regional Police will not tolerate any behavior that victimizes citizens. We are committed to our value of accountability and we take any allegation against our members very seriously.”

In addition to jail time, Von Seefried will be placed on the sex offender registry for 10 years, will serve a 5-year weapons ban, and will be on probation for 24 months following his prison term.

An investigation by the Professional Standards Bureau is ongoing and they are asking anyone who had an interaction with Von Seefried that may have been inappropriate to contact investigators.

Constable Young Min Von Seefried has been employed with York Regional Police since May 2006 and worked uniformed patrol in Markham.