Man charged with child sex abuse, flees to Paris, Ukraine: court

According to Crown Prosecutor Alex Boucher, who had been seeking a one-year sentence for the breaches, Chitrena failed to show up for his next four scheduled court dates. A bench warrant was issued the following November, and around the same time RCMP received information from Interpol that Chitrena had bought a plane ticket and left Saskatoon on Oct.5.

A year later Chitrena sent an email to RCMP, stating he would return to Canada in exchange for a lighter sentence. He was arrested at Calgary airport on Nov. 13, 2025.

Boucher noted the prolonged impact on the victim and their family who were forced to wait for resolution. When asked by Judge Harradence if Chitrena had returned voluntarily, Boucher replied Chitrena was running short on finances and his passport was about to expire.

“It was now or never for him,” she said.

Defence lawyer Evan Strelioff explained Chitrena had received divorce papers from his third wife and his plan was to go to Ukraine and participate in the conflict. Due to his age, he was turned away.

“It was an elaborate suicide attempt,” Strelioff said, adding Chitrena did in fact have money to stay longer.

‘He realized what he was doing was foolish so he came back to Canada to face the music.”

Chitrena, a former RCMP officer, was terminated in November, 2020 following accusations he downloaded an intimate image of a female inmate. He would later receive a conditional discharge meaning the charge has been erased from his criminal record.

When provided the opportunity to speak, Chitrena acknowledged his policing background will make his sentence even tougher and said he knows it is essentially a death sentence.

nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @nigelmaxwell

by Nigel Maxwell

Man charged with child sex abuse, flees to Paris, Ukraine: court

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