Understand
Police officer jailed for 15 months after making sexual advances to vulnerable teenage girl and sex workers
Overview
Merseyside Police constable Carl Edwards has been sentenced to 15 months in prison at Chester Crown Court after being convicted of misconduct in a public office and data protection offences. An investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and Merseyside Police's Anti-Corruption Unit revealed that Edwards made sexual comments and tried to touch a vulnerable 17-year-old missing girl during a welfare check, while failing to activate his body-worn camera. Further investigations uncovered that he had also propositioned two sex workers while on duty, including one who approached him to report an assault, and improperly searched police databases for information regarding an organised crime group.
Key points
- PC Carl Edwards spent 90 minutes alone with a high-risk missing 17-year-old girl in December 2023, where he made her feel uncomfortable, attempted to touch her, and offered to pick her up for sex after work.
- Edwards kept his body-worn camera switched off during the incident with the teenage girl and showed her pictures of his car.
- An investigation found Edwards also propositioned two sex workers while on duty between June 2022 and December 2023, including soliciting one who reported being assaulted.
- He was convicted of three counts of misconduct in a public office and two data protection offences following a trial at Chester Crown Court.
- Edwards resigned before a misconduct hearing that would have dismissed him, and was subsequently jailed for 15 months.