Former officer jailed for misconduct in public office

Former PC Jordan Masterson was convicted following a trial on February 1, 2023, after the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigated a report that he abused his position for a sexual purpose.

At Chester Crown Court on Friday (April 5), the 28-year-old was sentenced to three years and six months in jail. He is also subject to an indefinite restraining order.

The IOPC began a criminal investigation on January 4, 2022, following a referral from Cheshire Constabulary in December 2021.

The investigation found Masterson was called to the woman’s home in December 2021.

Two PCs had previously visited the woman’s home after her initial call to police to report a disturbance, but those officers were forced to leave due to another emergency.

When the woman later called 999 a second time, Masterson attended her home and within a short time of arriving, turned his body-worn camera off.

Masterson then engaged in sexual relations with the woman, while her children were asleep upstairs, before he left her home shortly afterwards.

Later, after attending other police calls, Masterson returned to the woman’s home and again turned his body-worn camera off. The woman said at this time he asked her not to tell anyone about what had happened earlier.

After Masterson left for the second time, the woman decided to call the police and explained what had happened.

Later that morning, Masterson, who has since resigned from the force, made a written report and warned colleagues of the woman, advising them to go ‘double-crewed’ in any future visits to her home.

Masterson later accepted that he had engaged in sexual intercourse with the woman but denied that he told her not to speak to anyone about it.

The prosecution was able to prove that Masterson wilfully misconducted himself by having sex with a vulnerable member of the public while on duty.

Following sentencing, IOPC Regional Director Catherine Bates said: “The police are there to help the people they serve, not exploit them. Abuse of position for a sexual purpose is serious corruption and has absolutely no place in policing.

“Former PC Masterson has shown no remorse for his actions. He took advantage of a woman he knew to be vulnerable and in doing so damaged her trust in the police.

“Thanks to this swift and thorough investigation, within four months of concerns being raised, PC Masterson has been barred from ever working in policing again. Now the court case has concluded, he is also facing a criminal sanction for his appalling actions.”

Rosemary Ainslie, head of the CPS Special Crime Division, added: “There was no excuse or justification for the actions of Masterson – who at the time was a serving police officer responding to a 999 call.

“He exploited the woman’s vulnerability in her own home and took advantage of someone who needed his support.

“His shameful behaviour amounted to a serious abuse of the trust which the public rightly have in a police officer not to act in this manner.

“He knew what he had done was wrong, and then attempted to cast doubt on the woman’s account by urging his colleagues to attend her home with at least two officers in future.

“I hope this conviction reassures the public and the victim in this case that nobody is above the law and that all offenders will be held accountable.”

At an accelerated misconduct hearing held by the force prior to charges being brought against him, gross misconduct was found proven and Masterson would have been dismissed had he not already resigned. He has been placed on the policing barred list.