Police officer who sent rape victim nudes, told her he wanted to handcuff her to bed is finally SACKED
HASTINGS, EAST SUSSEX: A police officer was terminated from service on Wednesday, August 10, in the United Kingdom for sending a full-sized naked selfie to a rape victim and telling her he wanted to handcuff her to a bed. The police officer, Sergeant Rob Adams, 39, a divorcee with two children, had been in the service for 16 years. His identity was revealed after an anonymity order that prevented the authorities from disclosing his photo or name was lifted.
According to a Daily Mail report, it was only when the victim reported sexual assault that Rob Adams confessed that the mini skirt aroused him. He further added in the statement he would have sexually assaulted her himself. The officer was charged on the grounds of gross misconduct and was also found guilty of 'persistent predatory behavior' with 'malign intent.'
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This case was an essential topic of discussion in the media due to an order preventing the media from naming the officer. It was imposed by the independent chair of the disciplinary panel, Harry Ireland. It led to heated discussions among the rape and sexual abuse charities who accused the panel of prioritizing an officer's reputation over the safety of women and girls.
The incident that led to the sacking of the officer happened in March 2014 when the victim and her two sisters were enjoying a night out in Hastings and were drinking in a closeby bar and a man ended up groping her. The victim reported the attack to Sergeant Adams, who was on patrol in the town center that night. The man was arrested and taken to Hastings police station. Later on, as the victim sat in his patrol car to give an official police statement Adams began making inappropriate comments to her. During the interrogation, the victim stated, "He said he was getting aroused when I told him about my encounter with that guy in the bar. Also, he asked if I liked him. It was just weird. He was creepy. I was shocked. He was a police officer in uniform. Then the officer said he wanted to use his handcuffs on me, to take me home and handcuff me to my bed." Further, she added, "I don’t even remember how it ended but I think I tried to laugh it off because it was an awkward situation really."
While reporting about the naked picture message, the victim stated, "The following morning I had a picture message on my phone of the sergeant naked. It showed him naked in a full-length mirror. I was a bit shocked. My sister said: "You need to report it" but he was a police officer." The victim came forward with a complaint only months after he received a written warning for his behavior for posting a photo of a female colleague's face onto a pornographic picture and sending it as a Secret Santa gift in December 2020.
In a similar incident in 2017, the officer sent a female police community support officer (PCSO) a full-length naked selfie of himself. However, later, it was found that the officer had developed an inappropriate relationship with the female officer.
Meanwhile, the panel on August 10, said it was left with no choice but to dismiss the officer with immediate effect and ban him from ever serving in a police force again. Chief Superintendent Lisa Bell from the Professional Standards Department stated, "Police officers must behave in a manner that does not discredit the police service or undermine public confidence, whether on or off duty. All staff are aware of appropriate professional boundaries and the serious consequences of any abuses of position."