Former and serving officers charged over ‘grossly offensive’ WhatsApp messages
A serving officer from West Mercia Police, along with a former officer from the force, are both to appear in court charged with sending grossly offensive messages, following an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Police Constable Joann Jinks, 40, and James Watts, 31, are charged with sending messages including images in May and June 2020 by means of a public electronic communications network, contrary to S.127 of the Communications Act 2003.
They are due to appear at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on May 13.
The alleged offences involve racially discriminatory material being shared by the defendants on WhatsApp at a time when they were both serving police constables.
The IOPC began its investigation in June 2020 following a referral from West Mercia Police after intelligence was received by the force.
