For Disgraceful Conduct

Well, that's pretty pathetic. Can't be certain whether it is that people never cease to amaze themselves by the truly witless things they get up to, or whether it is that people are so subsumed by themselves that they never fail to amaze the public which occasionally gets to hear or read about these really profoundly absurd and infantile things that people commit to.

One might imagine that a man with 30 years' experience as an RCMP officer, with an excellent record as a law and order, security professional would have better things to think about than exposing himself lewdly in a video, and then sending it on to someone with whom he had been having an long-distance affair.

In his defence, those who stood in judgement of him as professionals themselves hastened to note that the man was undergoing some level of emotional strain as his marriage was collapsing. That might be acceptable by some who have super-forgiving natures, as an explanation of how and why someone might become so emotionally berserk as to commit such juvenile pranks.

"In this video, S/Sgt. Matthews, while partially dressed in his RCMP uniform, is seen performing a striptease, exposing his genitals and performing sexual acts. This was done [in his office] and outside of normal working hours. S/Sgt. Matthews admits that he used RCMP IT equipment to record sexually explicit materials and that he engaged in sexual activity at his workplace."

At a disciplinary hearing held in August, it was revealed that Staff Sergeant Ronald Matthews of the RCMP had used a force-issued computer to download, view and store adult pornographic material. He admitted to disgraceful conduct, under an internal charge that falls under the RCMP Act. He also used his RCMP-issued BlackBerry to send sexually explicit messages to his then-girlfriend.

And, he sent to his then-girlfriend the strip-tease video that he had produced for her titillation and pleasure, adding to his own pleasure and titillation. Squalid, demeaning, a miserable act of stupidity. For which behaviour he has expressed remorse, claiming himself to have been embarrassed. For which activity he was disciplined with the most severe penalty to be meted out, short of dismissal.

"The member sincerely apologized and regretted his actions. He indicated the embarrassment he has caused the force and deeply feels the shame he has brought upon himself", reads the internal affairs file on this case. And, in view of Staff Sgt. Matthews' up-to-then exemplary record of service, and as one respected by his peers and supervisors, he was found "fit for duty", and fined ten days of pay.

For disgraceful conduct.