Former VPD detective sent to jail for sex-related crimes

A former Vancouver police detective has been sentenced to 20 months in jail for breach of trust and the sexual exploitation of a teenage girl.

James Fisher was sentenced in provincial court Tuesday, after pleading guilty to three criminal counts for kissing a 17-year-old girl and a 21-year-old woman.

Fisher's sentence includes 90 days for sexual exploitation, to be served concurrently with a 12-month sentence for one charge of breach of trust. Another eight-month sentence for a second charge of breach of trust will be served consecutively.

Earlier this summer, Fisher publicly apologized for his treatment of the two victims, telling the court he was "embarrassed and ashamed" by his behaviour.

The court heard he kissed the younger woman on three occasions for up to 10 minutes. She said Fisher's actions caused her to relapse into drug addiction and drop out of school.

Before he was arrested and charged, Fisher was a 29-year veteran of the Vancouver Police Department and a member of the team that investigates child sex abuse, exploitation and prostitution.

Upon his release from jail, Fisher will serve two years of probation.