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Sex-on-duty Sussex Police officers guilty of misconduct | Sex-on-duty Sussex Police officers guilty of misconduct |
(about 2 hours later) | |
A former chief inspector and his police colleague who met for sex while on duty have been found guilty of gross misconduct by a disciplinary panel. | A former chief inspector and his police colleague who met for sex while on duty have been found guilty of gross misconduct by a disciplinary panel. |
Robert Leet, formerly of Sussex Police, had a sexual relationship with Sgt Sarah Porter between August 2015 and January 2017, the hearing found. | Robert Leet, formerly of Sussex Police, had a sexual relationship with Sgt Sarah Porter between August 2015 and January 2017, the hearing found. |
Mr Leet, a married father of four, resigned in March. Ms Porter has been sacked with immediate effect. | |
The pair exchanged up to 700 messages, some of a "graphic sexual nature". | |
Mr Leet, who did not attend the hearing in Lewes, East Sussex, was told if he had still been a serving officer he would also have been dismissed without notice. He will be barred from rejoining the police. | |
Ms Porter, who had been in the police 18 years and was previously married to another officer, admitted kissing Mr Leet, but claimed her actions did not amount to sexual activity. | |
However, the panel found the allegation had been proved. | However, the panel found the allegation had been proved. |
Its chairwoman, Victoria Goodfellow, said the public would be appalled to learn two officers would be planning and continuing this relationship when they should be serving them. | |
She added Ms Porters' actions were "very likely to have caused harm to the reputation of Sussex Police and the policing profession". | |
Mr Leet, who served Sussex Police for 22 years, was also found to have taken advantage of a "potentially vulnerable" victim of domestic abuse. | |
He conducted a sexual relationship with her between November 2014 and January 2016 after they met at a domestic abuse action group he chaired as a district commander. | He conducted a sexual relationship with her between November 2014 and January 2016 after they met at a domestic abuse action group he chaired as a district commander. |
Ms Goodfellow said: "He would have known she was a survivor of domestic abuse. His was a gross abuse of his position with a vulnerable victim." | |
Ms Porter was also found to have failed to attend a fatal crash on July 3 2017 while she could not be contacted while on duty for 10 minutes. | Ms Porter was also found to have failed to attend a fatal crash on July 3 2017 while she could not be contacted while on duty for 10 minutes. |
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