The 54-year-old had denied the matter, plus another of behaving in an indecent manner, but was found guilty of both at separate trials in the Magistrate’s Court.
Passing sentence, Judge Gary Perry said the evidence against the defendant, who maintained his innocence, had been overwhelming in both cases.
‘You know what you did was inappropriate and until you come to terms with it you will continue on your path of denial,’ he told him.
‘I accept that former prison officers will have harsher consequences when serving their sentences than they might have on others, but I should not deal with you in any different way than I would anyone else.’
Tardif immediately appealed against the sentence and having provided security, was released on bail. He is due to return to court for a directions hearing next week but the appeal is not expected to be heard until October.
The court heard how the victim of the sexual assault, which occurred in October 2022, had not felt able to make a formal complaint at the time and the defendant’s offending might have gone undetected, had he not behaved in a similar way nearly two years later in June last year.
On the first occasion, Tardif had invited the woman to his house as she was showing interest in a job at the prison. The two were in a room in his house alone together when Tardif put his hand on her knee while she was sitting down. He said he might have done it inadvertently while reaching for paperwork.
He also performed a body search on her. As the woman left the property, she said he had put both of his hands on her shoulders and made comments about her body.
On the second occasion he had been receiving a massage from an 18-year-old girl. The court found that during this he had wafted his towel, which exposed his penis, and made innuendo comments towards her.
Defending, Advocate Alan Merrien said there had been no sexual touching during the massage. In the second incident, during the body search at his client’s home, he had not put his hands over the woman’s intimate areas.
Advocate Merrien said the social enquiry report, which had been prepared independently by the Jersey Probation Service, was very detailed and he drew the court’s attention to parts which referred to his client’s personal circumstances which he said he would not read out in open court.
He was concerned about his ability to support his family if he were sent to prison.
Some media outlets had published his name on his first court appearance, which had led to a lot of speculation on social media. Judge Perry said the media had done nothing unlawful.
Advocate Merrien said his client had had a career with a steady path and future expectation, all of which had been taken away as a result of the consequences of his actions. Glowing references had been submitted on his behalf and he realised that activities which he had been involved in for many years would now come to an end.
Judge Perry said the second offence had occurred at what had amounted to a mock job interview with a woman in her early twenties. The first offence had involved a woman who was only 18, who was just doing her job where she had a right to feel safe.
In both cases there had been a power imbalance, he said.
Both women had had to endure giving evidence in court and face suggestions from the defence advocate in cross-examination that they might not be telling the truth.
The defendant had held a senior and important role in the community which came with an element of trust which he had betrayed by the commission of these offences.
Tardif was jailed for six weeks for the sexual assault and made subject to notification requirements for five years. Four weeks, consecutive, was imposed for behaving in an indecent manner.
