UPDATE: Former Vernon RCMP officer guilty, sentenced for possessing child pornography

"HE HAS… BEEN SUBJECTED TO PUNISHMENT WELL BEYOND THAT… (OF) A USUAL INMATE"

KELOWNA – Former Vernon Mountie Ryan Hampton has been found guilty of possessing and downloading child pornography as well as several counts of breaching court orders.

Hampton, 37, pleaded not guilty to possessing child pornography, accessing child pornography and six counts of breaching court orders not to contact his then-wife Const. Valerie Little, herself a member of the RCMP. 

Hampton and Little were both full time members of the Vernon RCMP in May, 2013 when Little turned in an external hard drive containing 60 images and three videos and a browser program used to hide online activity. He admitted to being addicted to heroin and cocaine.

He has been in custody since breaching bail in Alberta, where police allege he stole a police light bar and a siren among other offences there.

The trial started in July and involved numerous witnesses, including fellow members of the RCMP, friends, Hampton’s first wife, a forensic expert and investigators.

Justice Barry Davies sentenced Hampton to time already served, saying Hampton, who has been in jail awaiting trial seven months, has suffered enough.

“This has been a very difficult experience for all of those involved, not the least of which is Mr. Hampton,” he said. “He has during that period (of incarceration) been subjected to punishment well beyond that which will occur to a usual inmate awaiting trial. He has also been held in the Kelowna detachment with his former colleagues… who have been less than kind to him.”

He was found not guilty of obstruction of justice and sentenced to time served plus a day as well as two years’ probation.

Follow this link for the entire coverage of this trial.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw at aproskiw@infonews.ca or call 250-718-0428. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.