A former police worker has been jailed after having a relationship with a convicted rapist she was meant to be supervising.
Rachel Beale, 53, was an offender manager within Wiltshire police's management of sexual and violent offenders unit.
The relationship led her to be charged with misconduct in public office.
On Wednesday, she was sentenced to six months' imprisonment, having pleaded guilty to the offence in January.
Beale, who lives in Oxfordshire, appeared at Bristol Crown Court to face the charge which happened between February and September 2020.
She was arrested in September that year when the matter was brought to the force's attention and she was suspended from duty.
'Imbalance of power'
The matter was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) who investigated the allegations.
The investigation found that Beale entered into an "inappropriate, intimate relationship" with the man.
During the investigation, Beale was interviewed and her mobile phones and devices were examined.
IOPC regional director Derrick Campbell said: "Despite knowing there was an imbalance of power she pursued the relationship.
"She also admitted misusing her police identification to book hotel rooms while Covid restrictions were in place and without policing purpose and treating him more favourably than others she was managing."
Following Beale's guilty plea, an internal gross misconduct hearing was held and ruled that she would have been dismissed from Wiltshire Police had she not previously resigned.
Betrayal of trust
She has also been barred from working for any other police force, nor in an external vetted risk role.
Deputy chief constable of Wiltshire Police Paul Mills said: "Rachel Beale betrayed the trust of the public, and betrayed the trust of her colleagues, when she blatantly abused her position to commit this crime.
"The outcome of this investigation and today's sentence shows that there is no place in policing for someone who behaves in this way.
"I want our communities across Swindon and Wiltshire to have the utmost confidence in their police force, and, although cases like this highlight the disappointing and unacceptable minority, I hope the public can see that we are committed to rooting out any kind of misconduct and taking the appropriate action."
Beale's sentencing comes the day after that of former Wiltshire Police officer Darren Thorn, who was jailed for nine months for charges connected to an inappropriate sexual relationship with a vulnerable woman.
Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson said: "I'm exasperated and appalled that this is the second such sentencing of a Wilshire Police employee in a little over 24 hours, where they have abused their position of trust for their own gratification.
"This will inevitably damage public confidence in policing and both the chief constable and I will eradicate any trace of corruption and misconduct within Wiltshire Police.
"We are both absolutely determined to ensure that public trust does not reach a place where it is irreparably broken."
Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk
Related Internet Links
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiOGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3VrLWVuZ2xhbmQtd2lsdHNoaXJlLTYwOTMwNjI20gE8aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmJjLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvdWstZW5nbGFuZC13aWx0c2hpcmUtNjA5MzA2MjYuYW1w?oc=5
2022-03-31 09:01:56Z
1346683669
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar