Police professional | Former officer found guilty of ‘inappropriate sexual relationship’ with crime victim

Former officer found guilty of ‘inappropriate sexual relationship’ with crime victim

A former West Yorkshire police officer has been found guilty of misconduct in a public office after he began an inappropriate relationship with a woman he met in the line of duty and attempted to pursue a relationship with another woman.

Former PC Declan Middleton, 33, had denied three charges of misconduct in a public office between May 2020 and January 2021, but was found guilty on two charges by a jury at Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday (October 22).

He will be sentenced on November 22.

The charges followed an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) in January 2021 following a referral from the force, which was contacted by a woman who had made a complaint.

West Yorkshire Police made two further referrals to the IOPC on the additional matters on March 12 and 31, 2021.

The investigation revealed that the former officer visited the woman’s home address on May 26, 2020 to obtain a witness statement and provided his personal telephone number where she could contact him.

Two days later, PC Middleton returned to the woman’s home in plain clothes and they had consensual sex.

Over the following week, PC Middleton continued to send messages of a sexual nature and attended her speech on more than one occasion.

After the woman tried to distance herself from the officer, the court heard PC Middleton sent messages asking if she did not want to disclose their relationship to anyone, the IOPC said.

It added: “Evidence we have gathered shows that former PC Middleton abused his position as a police officer by engaging in a sexual relationship with a woman he met after attending a domestic violence incident.”

After IOPC investigators arrested PC Middleton, they carried out searches and seized numerous devices, including his personal mobile phone.

Data from PC Middleton’s phone provided evidence he had sent inappropriate messages to two other women he met while on duty.

IOPC Regional Director Emily Barry said: “PC Middleton’s predatory behavior was unacceptable and has no place in the police force. The fact that he tried to cover his tracks was proof that he knew what he was doing was wrong. This abuse of trust threatens to seriously undermine public confidence in the police.

“Thanks to the complainant’s courage in coming forward, we were able to conduct this investigation and identify this disturbing pattern of behavior. I would like to thank everyone who helped with our investigations and ensured PC Middleton was held to account.

“Today’s verdict should send a clear message that any officer who misbehaves in such a way can and will face serious consequences for their actions.”

After completing its investigation in March 2022, the IOPC passed its findings to the Crown Prosecution Service, which authorized the charges. The IOPC also concluded that there was a reason to answer for gross negligence.

In December 2023, a two-day accelerated gross misconduct hearing organized by the force took place when it was found that the officer had breached police professional standards in the areas of disgraceful conduct, honesty and integrity, orders and instructions, ethics and authority , respect and integrity. politeness.

A police disciplinary committee ruled that he would have been dismissed without notice if he had not already resigned.

The former officer was also placed on the police’s excluded list.