Hamilton police officer facing child pornography charges is suspended without pay

A Hamilton police officer is facing charges of possessing and transmitting of child sexual abuse and exploitation material.

Halton Police have charged 43-year-old David Hamilton of Burlington.

Hamilton Police said Const. Hamilton is a 19-year member of their service. He faces the following charges:

• Possession of Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Material (one count)
• Transmitting Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Material (one count)

The officer remains in custody pending a bail hearing in Milton. Halton detectives said the offences are alleged to have happened in Burlington between Jan. 3 and 4 of this year.

Hamilton Police say he has been suspended without pay. This is the first officer suspended without pay in Hamilton since Ontario’s 2024 Community Safety and Policing Act came into effect that year, which gives chiefs of police wider discretion to impose discipline on officers engaged with misconduct. Prior to that, officers suspended under the old Police Services Act still received pay.

In a statement sent to CHCH News, Hamilton Police Chief Frank Bergen said “given the gravity of the charges, the member was suspended without pay. This was not a decision taken lightly. Our community expects our members to uphold the laws – not break them. Criminal behaviour erodes public trust and calls into question our commitment to the community.”

Anyone with related information is asked to contact Det. Sgt. Todd Martin of the Halton Regional Police Service Internet Child Exploitation Unit at 905-825-4747 ext. 8983.

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