Gross misconduct proven against former officer following sexual encounter with woman
A former Cambridgeshire Constabulary officer who used police issue handcuffs during a sexual encounter with a woman while off duty would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had he not already resigned.
A disciplinary panel heard that former PC Benjamin Mace, 41, also wore his police uniform “while engaging in sexual contact with the woman”.
The misconduct hearing followed an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
The panel found that the officer’s actions breached professional behaviour standards.
The panel heard that the former officer, who resigned in October 2021, first met the woman in October 2019 when they matched on a dating app.
PC Mace stated in his dating profile that he was a police officer based in Peterborough and after exchanging messages for around a month, the officer arranged to meet the woman in person at her address.
The panel heard he visited the woman’s home dressed in police uniform, while off duty and “without a policing purpose and placed her in police issue handcuffs while engaging in sexual contact with the woman”.
Following a one-day gross misconduct hearing held on Thursday (December 5), the panel found that the former officer had breached the police standards of professional behaviour relating to honesty and integrity, and discreditable conduct. The officer will now be placed on the police’s barred list.
IOPC regional director Charmaine Arbouin said: “The public have a right to expect police officers to maintain high levels of professionalism and integrity, whether on or off duty. PC Mace abused his position as a police officer and his actions are a discredit to policing and undermine the public’s confidence in the service.
“While this officer has since resigned from policing, as a result of this hearing he’ll be placed on the police barred list and cannot be employed as an officer in the future.”
The IOPC investigation began following a conduct referral from the force in May 2020. A
“After concluding our investigation in January 2021, we submitted a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS),” said the IOPC. “In January 2022, the CPS authorised a charge of sexual assault by touching, however that charge was later dropped.”