A Sussex Police officer has been dismissed without notice after exploiting his position of authority to initiate a sexual relationship with a vulnerable member of the public.
The misconduct hearing, held on July 1 and 2 at Sussex Police headquarters, heard how the officer — anonymised as PC X — contacted the woman, Ms A, via social media, identifying himself as a police officer. Ms A, who was known to be vulnerable, had told PC X her doctor had advised her to seek an advocate for her dealings with police and social services. PC X volunteered himself as that advocate.
Despite knowing her vulnerability, PC X pursued a sexual relationship with Ms A between March and June 2021. He declared her as a ‘notifiable associate’ on Sussex Police’s Personal Circumstances Form, describing her merely as a friend he was assisting. When questioned by a supervisor about the nature of the advocacy, he claimed he was supporting a disabled person — but he never disclosed their sexual relationship.
A Legally Qualified Chair (LQC) granted anonymity to both PC X and Ms A and ruled the hearing would be held publicly, subject to restrictions on revealing their identities.
The misconduct panel found PC X had abused his position of trust in a predatory and manipulative manner, dishonestly misrepresenting the true nature of the relationship. While allegations that he smoked cannabis with Ms A were not proven, the panel ruled he had breached professional standards of honesty, integrity, authority, respect, and discreditable conduct — amounting to gross misconduct.
As a result, PC X was dismissed without notice and added to the College of Policing’s Barred List, permanently banning him from future police work.
Detective Superintendent Andy Wolstenholme, deputy head of Sussex Police’s Professional Standards Department, condemned the officer’s actions: “When police officers or staff abuse their position of trust for a sexual purpose, particularly with vulnerable people, it represents a fundamental betrayal of the public and the values the police service stands for. It lets down the vast majority of their colleagues who act with professionalism and integrity.”
