In Her Defence: Breach of Trust

Breach of Trust is the third season of The Globe and Mail's In Her Defence. It is about former Regina Police Service sergeant Robert Semenchuck, who used police databases to find women he then contacted under false names. The Globe describes him as an officer "who preyed on hundreds of vulnerable women"; that is the show's wording and the show's figure. According to agreed facts reported by CBC, he targeted 33 women for intimate relationships between 2015 and 2023, often starting with a "wrong-number" text. CBC reports that Semenchuck pleaded guilty in November 2025 to breach of trust and unlawful use of a computer, and that in February 2026 he received a two-year conditional sentence, the first six months as house arrest, followed by three years' probation. The series asks, in the Globe's words, "would the system punish one of its own?" Jana G. Pruden is a Globe feature writer and a former crime bureau chief of the Edmonton Journal, and she previously worked at the Regina Leader-Post. The Globe says the series draws on more than 50 hours of interviews with women, police officers, lawyers and legal experts. Episode 1, Steve Wrong Number Boy, starts with the woman whose suspicion set the case in motion. Episode 2 follows the internal investigation, and Episode 3 describes dozens of women being phoned by police and told they had been witnesses to a crime. Episode 4, Eyes on IEIS, looks at the database itself. The team's previous season, 50th Street, won the Canadian Journalism Foundation's Landsberg Award and a Digital Publishing Award. Who it suits: listeners interested in police accountability, privacy and how institutions respond when the harm comes from inside. The shorter episodes make it easy to fit into a week. Content warnings: Abuse of police power; deception and intimate exploitation of women, some of whom had already been victims of crime or domestic violence (per agreed facts reported by CBC); re-traumatisation and mental-health impacts described by the women affected. Apple marks the feed Explicit. Legal note: Robert Semenchuck pleaded guilty to breach of trust and unlawful use of a computer and was sentenced in February 2026. He was not convicted of any sexual offence. "Hundreds" and "preyed on" are the show's words; the agreed facts refer to 33 women. CBC reports that many of the women's names are protected by a publication ban, so we do not name any of them. CBC reports that at least two women have filed civil claims against him; those allegations have not been proved in court. We are not aware of any appeal of the criminal sentence.

Our editorial verdict is "Worth your time". The third season of The Globe and Mail's In Her Defence, about former Regina Police Service sergeant Robert Semenchuck, who used police databases to find women he then contacted under false names. Hosted by Jana G. Pruden.

In Her Defence: Breach of Trust is ideal for: Listeners who enjoy following a single case from start to finish.

In Her Defence: Breach of Trust is a serialized podcast — start from Episode 1 of any season for the full experience.

In Her Defence: Breach of Trust is available on major podcast platforms including Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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