Private misconduct panel sacks unnamed officer for repeated ‘sex on duty’

An officer has been dismissed for having sex on “numerous occasions” while on duty over a three-year period. The Devon and Cornwall Police officer, whose name has not been released, had sex with two women he met during the course of his duties, as well as relations with a “vulnerable witness”. The officer appeared before a private hearing of a misconduct panel on March 2 to face allegations that he had breached the “standards of professional behaviour” of the force. In particular, they breached standards pertaining to confidentiality, duties and responsibilities, orders and instructions, honesty and integrity and discreditable conduct. He also obtained and gave out confidential third party information without any policing purpose and was dismissed for gross misconduct and breaching confidentiality. A force statement issued after the hearing said that the officer had breached those professional standards between 2012 and 2014 “on numerous occasions by engaging in sexual intercourse while on duty, including on one occasion with a vulnerable witness”. Devon and Cornwall Police have seen a number of similar cases in the last year. Last summer, an officer who had sex with vulnerable women victims he met while on duty was sacked. And five months ago, an officer with the force found to have carried out a “serious” sex attack on a woman was also dismissed. The officer was “dismissed without notice” after being found guilty of gross misconduct following an eight-day disciplinary hearing. As the attack happened abroad, the officer concerned did not face criminal charges.