Ex Thames Valley Police officer jailed for having sexual relations with several defendants and witnesses

While on duty, former officer Oliver Perry-Smith, pursued inappropriate relationships with multiple women. And he has now been sentenced to three and a half years’ imprisonment, the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed on Friday April 29.

Perry-Smith, an ex-police constable, was charged with misconduct in public office and computer misuse.

Perry-Smith’s illegal activity was tracked over a period of four years, Reading Crown Court heard.

The women he met through his old job were all potential defendants, witnesses, or involved in a police investigation in another capacity.

More than once he used police software to find out confidential information about them, such as checking a woman’s number plate to find her name and address so he could visit her later that evening.

Prosecutors outlined how many of these women were emotionally vulnerable at the time and felt an imbalance of power due to Perry-Smith’s position as a police officer.

This was exacerbated by the fact that he would often visit them while on duty and in full police uniform.

Perry-Smith pleaded guilty to three counts of misconduct in public office and two counts of unauthorised access to computer material at Reading Crown Court in February and March.

Senior Crown Prosecutor Charles White of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Oliver Perry-Smith took advantage of his privileged position and access to police resources to pursue several women over a few years.

“He knowingly breached police policy when he made personal visits while on duty.

"He seemed to think that by lying to his superiors and using his duties as an excuse, he’d be immune to the consequences of his actions.

“Today’s sentence proves no one is above the law, including those meant to uphold it.

"Perry-Smith abused his power, broke public trust, and made many women feel uncomfortable or unsafe in his inappropriate pursuit of them. I hope today’s sentence brings those women a sense of justice.”