WIREDGOV

A former Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officer, who started an inappropriate relationship with a crime victim he met on duty, would have been dismissed if he had not already resigned, an independently-chaired police disciplinary panel has ruled.

Following our investigation, the panel found gross misconduct proven against former Police Constable (PC) Gareth Roberts.

A two-day hearing organised by the force concluded on Tuesday 24 August when he was found to have breached the police professional standards of behaviour for authority, respect and courtesy; and discreditable conduct.

We started our independent investigation in March 2018 after receiving a referral from the force.

Evidence we gathered indicated that, in 2011, former PC Roberts – then a police officer with West Yorkshire Police (WYP) – started providing support for a vulnerable teenage victim of crime.

He continued to contact the victim despite having been instructed not to. When the teenager turned 18 years, the relationship turned sexual, although our investigation found no evidence of sexual contact between them prior to that.

Our investigation ended in September 2020.

IOPC Regional Director, Sal Naseem, yesterday said:

“Police officers abusing their position to form inappropriate relationships for sexual purposes is both hugely damaging to, and also undermines, the public’s trust and confidence in policing.

“Officers’ training and guidance reinforces the importance of maintaining a professional boundary between themselves and members of the public. Officers must not engage in, or pursue, sexual or improper emotional relationships with members of the public whom they may have met during the course of current work or duties.

“This former officer crossed that boundary. Following our investigation, the panel has decided he would have been dismissed if he was still serving and will also be placed on the police barred list, which means he cannot work for the police in future.

“This sanction serves as a reminder to other police officers that this type of conduct and behaviour has no place in policing.”

During our investigation, we obtained statements and evidence from support agency workers who had knowledge of the police officer’s relationship with the teenager, and police witnesses from WYP and the MPS.

Investigators also obtained accounts from the teenager, their parents, and from ex-PC Roberts.