Allegations officers filmed detainees and sent sex assault texts investigated

Two officers are being investigated over claims they sent texts about sexually assaulting victims of crime. The pair – a detective constable from the Trident Area Command unit and a police constable from aviation policing – are also accused of filming people in custody. Both were suspended from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) after the allegations surfaced during a separate criminal investigation by Surrey Police. The MPS referred the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) which is investigating whether any other officers were involved. The messages and videos appear to date from around 2011, when the officers were working in the Hounslow response team. IOPC regional director Jonathan Green said: “These are worrying allegations about the alleged lack of professionalism of two officers. “Despite the allegations dating back a few years, the IOPC is concerned that otherwise respected officers may be behaving in such an unacceptable manner. “It is therefore vital that these matters are investigated by us, independently from police, to determine if the officers have potentially breached any standards of professional conduct.”