Gross misconduct proven against former officer who sent ‘sexual’ messages to vulnerable women

An accelerated misconduct hearing was told former PC Jamie Gibb also asked one of the women to send him sexual images of herself.

Chief Constable Nick Adderley said he was “ashamed” that the former officer once wore the same uniform as him, and that the shame he has brought on the police service “has no bounds”.

Describing the actions of former PC Gibb as “calculated, manipulative and cruel”, Mr Adderley found his behaviour amounted to gross misconduct and said he would have been dismissed without notice if he was still a serving officer.

It was determined that PC Gibb, who resigned while under investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), had breached police standards of professional behaviour for authority, respect and courtesy; honesty and integrity; and discreditable conduct.

The misconduct panel heard that on August 30, 2020, he was the officer in charge for an incident n which ‘Female A’ flagged down a police car and requested assistance following a verbal disagreement with her ex-partner, which left her in a state of distress.

This information ought to have made it clear to him that Female A was “a person who was vulnerable to an abuse of authority”, said Northamptonshire Police, and he had a “professional duty of care” towards her.

Between the date of the incident and September 5, 2020, he sent messages to Female A from his work mobile. He subsequently sent messages from his personal mobile telephone and telephoned her, inviting her to contact him via SnapChat.

He did so without having any policing purpose, said the force.

The content of these messages included sexual comments, referenced to sexual activity with her, and requests for sexual images, the misconduct hearing was told.

Northamptonshire Police said on and around September 21, 2020, the former police constable then attended an incident following a report that ‘Female B’ was harassing her estranged partner. After making inquiries he reported that Female B had been described as “distraught and inconsolable” at the breakdown of her marriage.

Again, this information ought to have made it clear to him that Female B was a person who was vulnerable to an abuse of authority, and he had a professional duty of care towards her, the force added.

He sent messages to Female B and communicated with her via his personal mobile phone following the initial incident for which he had no policing purpose in doing so, the misconduct panel heard.

During those communications he disclosed personal information and communicated in a manner that was described as ‘flirty’, requesting that she download SnapChat for “further communication”.

Northamptonshire Police said his conduct with with the two women was “inappropriate” as it represented an abuse of authority for a sexual purpose and was likely to “undermine public confidence in the police”.

And steps taken to avoid detection by using the Snapchat application represented a “failure to act with integrity”, it added.

Mr Adderley determined that the former police constable’s conduct amounted to gross misconduct as it was “seriously inappropriate”, sought to exploit professional dealings with vulnerable females for sexual gain and involved an attempt to carry out the conduct covertly to avoid detection.

“I would describe the actions of former PC Gibb as calculated, manipulative and cruel,” he said.

“He set a course of action to exploit two vulnerable females who he knew, not ought to have known, but knew to be vulnerable.

“He used his privileged position, as a police officer, to obtain evidence and information, including intimate information, about Miss A and Miss B, then used that evidence to satisfy his own, either sexual gratification, or perverse desires, making both Miss A and B, further victims.

“At the very time that Miss A was seeking safety and assurances, having had the courage to report matters to the police, former officer Gibb took the opportunity to exploit her vulnerability. With regards to Miss B, again he used his position as a police officer, creating and falsehood and façade to entice an engagement with her for his own perverted ends.”

Mr Adderley added: “I find it incomprehensible that a police officer, a guardian of the peace and a protector of people, would conduct themselves in this way, hugely eroding public trust and confidence and potentially ruining the lives of two females.”

“Statements provided by Miss A and Miss B show the damage he has caused to them both and to the reputation of the police service.

“I am appalled by his devious, manipulative and coercive attempts to entice two vulnerable females into any form of a relationship for his own gratification. Moreover, I am ashamed that the former officer once wore the same uniform as I do, but whose intent and values, on these occasions, were not to serve the public but to exploit them for his own ends.”

Mr Adderley said Northamptonshire Police adopts a “zero tolerance” to any such cases, where the facts are proved.

“I am satisfied that the facts are proved in this case, and I have no hesitation in determining that if former officer Gibb was still serving, he would have been dismissed without notice,” he said. “I also determine that he be placed of the College of Policing barred list, preventing him from ever working in policing again.

“The shame he has brought on the police service and that of his family, has no bounds.”

The IOPC said evidence gathered during its investigation indicated that after his initial contact with the women he used his personal mobile to contact them, when he had no policing purpose do so, sending messages of “a sexual or flirtatious nature to the women who were in vulnerable situations”.

He also asked them to download a social media application for further communication and one of the women was asked to send him “sexual images of herself”, it added.

The IOPC said its ten-month investigation began in December 2020 after a referral from Northamptonshire Police about former PC Gibb’s conduct and concluded that he had a case to answer for gross misconduct.

IOPC Regional Director Derrick Campbell said: “Abuse of position for a sexual purpose is a form of serious corruption. Cases such as these have the real potential to impact on public confidence in the police. This officer’s actions were clearly contrary to both force policy and police guidance on maintaining professional boundaries.

“Following a gross misconduct hearing it has been determined that ex-PC Gibb would have been dismissed if he had not resigned. He will also be added to the police barred list, preventing him from future employment with the service.”