Police officer who let his colleague take explicit photographs of his on-off lover is sacked

A police officer has been sacked after he let a colleague take sexual pictures of his on-off lover in the back of a police car while on duty.   

PC Mark Crompton and PC Ben Pitelen picked up the woman in their vehicle while they were on duty together in December 2012 and took explicit photographs of her while she was intoxicated.

They had also been on duty for Hertfordshire Constabulary when they went to the home of the woman, known as Ms A, in January 2013. 

While inside the property, Crompton took a photograph of Pitelen in his uniform as he stood next to the half-naked woman, a misconduct hearing in Welwyn Garden City was told.  

PC Crompton, who was in a casual sexual relationship with the woman, has now been sacked. 

In the decision, Chief Constable Charlie Hall said ‘what happened cannot be defended, it is disgraceful behaviour for an on-duty officer to engage in’.  

While inside the property, Crompton took a photograph of Pitelen in his uniform as he stood next to the half-naked woman, a misconduct hearing in Welwyn Garden City was told (pictured: Hertfordshire Constabulary HQ, in Welwyn Garden City)

Chief Constable Hall said: ‘PC Crompton is culpable for his actions in this case. He has chosen to participate in arranging the contact and the taking of the photographs.

‘Whilst another officer was present on both occasions, he has not actively intervened to stop these images being taken.’

He continued: ‘Indeed his actions were more calculated than that as the photographs have been taken deliberately and intentionally and the contact with the woman has been as a result of the relationship PC Crompton was in with her at the time.

PC Ben Pitelen (pictured), 45, and PC Mark Crompton, were on duty for Hertfordshire Constabulary when they went to the home of the woman, known as Ms A, in January 2013

‘It is through this relationship that arrangements have been made to take both sets of explicit photographs.’

He described the pictures as ‘very explicit’ adding that despite the woman consenting they would still cause ‘significant harm’ to public confidence in policing.

The Chief Constable noted PC Crompton had been transparent during the hearing and was a ‘highly thought of police officer’.

The incidents happened during a five-day period of a 15-year career and he has shown ‘genuine remorse’ and apologised for what has happened, he added.

In a statement Ms A said she was unable to remember the photographs that had been taken of her in the car.

She also said that she had met Crompton socially and had gone on to have a consensual sexual relationship with him.

During the misconduct hearing, Pitelen and Crompton were found guilty of gross conduct.

The incident came to light after an investigation was launched into Pitelen for making indecent images of children.

Pitelen was sentenced to 25 months’ imprisonment on February 4 after officers found more than 500 indecent images of children on his digital devices.

The officer pleaded guilty to corruption and making indecent images of children.

In a police report  Chief Constable Charlie Hall said ‘this is a most serious of cases’ and has ‘significant potential to undermine confidence in policing’. 

A police report concluded: ‘The actions of PC Pitelen have been far removed from those expected of a professional police officer. 

‘His actions undermine confidence in policing and its reputation, he has fallen very short of acceptable standards and failed to protect the public.

‘Considering the purpose of these misconduct proceedings there is no other reasonable or acceptable outcome that I can reach in this case other than to sanction PC Pitelen with dismissal without notice. 

‘Nothing else would be an acceptable outcome in such a serious case for either the public or the police service itself.’