Suspended Nova Scotia RCMP officer facing another sexual assault charge

A Nova Scotia RCMP officer, Const. William McNutt, is facing yet another sexual assault charge for an incident that allegedly occurred while he was already under investigation for previous misconduct. The province’s Serious Incident Response Team announced on Monday that McNutt has been charged with sexual assault in connection to an investigation that was initiated last November after a woman reported being sexually assaulted by a police officer in May 2024.

McNutt, 40, is scheduled to appear in Shubenacadie provincial court on August 11 for the new charge. Additionally, he is set to go to trial in October and January for two separate cases where he faces multiple counts of sexual assault.

The commanding officer of the Nova Scotia RCMP, Dennis Daley, expressed concern over the new criminal charges against McNutt, calling them “extremely alarming and distressing.”

In January 2024, McNutt was suspended without pay from his position with the East Hants District RCMP following an allegation of sexual assault in 2023. SIRT took over the investigation and charged McNutt in July 2024 with three counts of sexual assault, along with other related charges. The trial for these charges is set to take place in Shubenacadie provincial court in October.

Furthermore, McNutt is also facing charges for an alleged incident that occurred before he joined the RCMP in 2021. In December 2024, he was charged with two counts of sexual assault stemming from an incident in Northport, N.S. in the summer of 2019. The trial for these charges is scheduled for January in Amherst provincial court.

It is worth noting that the Mounties have clarified that McNutt was off-duty during the time of the alleged offences in both cases. The ongoing legal proceedings against Const. William McNutt are part of a larger investigation into his conduct, highlighting the importance of accountability and justice within law enforcement agencies.

As this story continues to unfold, it serves as a reminder of the need for thorough investigations into allegations of misconduct and the importance of holding individuals accountable for their actions. The justice system will ultimately determine McNutt’s guilt or innocence, but the impact of these allegations on the trust and integrity of the RCMP cannot be understated.