A Sussex Police officer accused of sexually assaulting two female colleagues while on duty has been cleared of all charges following a trial at Southwark Crown Court.
PC Lee Willis, 49, who was based with the Brighton and Hove division, stood trial after pleading not guilty to three counts of sexual assault by touching. On Friday, 9 May, the jury returned verdicts of not guilty on all counts.
The court heard that the alleged incidents occurred in January and February 2023, during separate occasions when Willis was on duty and in the company of each of the two women individually.
Following the allegations, Willis was suspended from duty pending a criminal investigation. The matter was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which directed that a local investigation by Sussex Police’s Professional Standards Department be carried out.
With the criminal case now concluded, Sussex Police will consider whether internal misconduct proceedings should follow.
