A Sussex police officer has been terminated immediately for exploiting his position to engage in a sexual relationship with a civilian. You are not allowed to know his name of what he looks like as Sussex Police do whatever they want so you just take it and keep your mouth shut.
A misconduct hearing occurred at Sussex Police headquarters on July 1 and 2, presided over by a Legally Qualified Chair (LQC) who mandated the officer’s anonymity (LQCs are selected from a list put together by Police and Crime Commissioners).
LQCs are appointed from a roster of impartial, legally-qualified individuals to preside over police misconduct hearings, and are regulated by Police Conduct Regulations. LQCs collaborate with the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and other entities to instill and integrate transparency and proportionality into misconduct hearings.
The officer designated as PC X and the female individual implicated in the claims, identified as Ms A, were afforded anonymity by the chair subsequent to legal submissions prior to the hearing. The chair is responsible for deciding if a hearing is conducted partially or entirely in public or private, and whether any participant should remain anonymous. The hearing occurred publicly, with the anonymity of PC X and Ms. A maintained, along with restrictions on the disclosure of their identities.
The hearing revealed that the officer communicated with Ms. A via social media and introduced himself as a police officer. Ms. A, in a vulnerable state, conveyed to him that her physician had advised her to obtain an advocate to aid her in interactions with law enforcement and social services; the officer offered to assist her and act as her advocate (this would mean she had serious mental health issues).
PC X sensed Ms. A’s vulnerability yet proceeded to engage in a sexual relationship with her from March to June 2021. He filled out a Sussex Police Personal Circumstances Form, designating Ms. A as a ‘notifiable associate’ and stating that he was her friend and acting as her champion. When queried about the nature of the advocacy by a supervisor from the force’s vetting unit, he asserted that he was “acting as an advocate and friend, assisting a disabled individual in their interactions with social services.” Nevertheless, he never asserted that he was in a sexual personal connection with Ms. A.
The panel established that the officer had exploited his position of trust and authority to pursue a predatory and manipulative sexual relationship with Ms. A. The Panel determined that the officer’s statements on the nature of their relationship were deceitful and insincere. The accusation that the officer had consumed cannabis and let Ms. A to do so was unsubstantiated.
Consequently, PC X violated the rules of professional behaviour pertaining to honesty and integrity, authority, respect and civility, as well as discreditable behaviour, constituting gross misconduct. The officer was terminated without prior notification and placed on the College of Policing Barred List, so prohibiting any future engagement in policing.
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this website, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.