Alberta RCMP Officer Receives Conditional Discharge After Assaulting Teen Boys

When Justice Nick Devlin of the Court of King's Bench in Calgary described the December 3, 2022 incident as a "self‑destructive act," you could hear the frustration in his tone. The case involved Constable Bridget Morla, an Alberta RCMP officer who, while off‑duty at a youth‑hockey tournament, allegedly groped two teenage boys in a hotel room during a boozy social gathering.

Morla originally faced a sexual‑assault charge, but in May she pleaded guilty to common assault. During the plea, she admitted to touching the shoulders and thighs of a 16‑year‑old and, unintentionally, his groin area. The second teen, 17, was said to have been tickled before Morla slipped her fingers into the waistband of his pants. Both boys reportedly expressed surprise and discomfort at the time.

At sentencing, Justice Devlin called the episode "a bizarre one‑off that is really out of character," emphasizing that the behaviour did not fit the officer’s usual conduct. He opted for a conditional discharge – technically a finding of guilt, but without a criminal conviction, provided Morla complies with the conditions of her 18‑month probation.

The probation package includes 50 hours of community service, mandatory counseling, and the usual check‑ins with a probation officer. If she stays clean, the conviction never gets entered into her record.

Prosecutor Sandra Christensen‑Moore framed the assaults as “unique and nuanced,” noting they were on the lower end of violence and intrusiveness. Both complainants, she said, were relieved not to have to testify and harbored "no ill will" toward Morla.

Beyond the courtroom, Morla has been suspended without pay while the RCMP conducts an internal conduct review. The media frenzy, as the Crown pointed out, has taken a heavy toll on her personal and professional life.

In a prepared statement read aloud to the court, Morla apologized to the force, her family, friends and anyone else affected. "I take full responsibility," she said, adding that she has spent a lot of time reflecting on the harm caused and the changes she needs to make.

The case serves as a reminder that even those sworn to protect can stumble dramatically, and that the justice system can, at times, opt for rehabilitation over a permanent scar on a person’s record.