Shamed police officer 'would have been sacked if he hadn't resigned'
A West Mercia Police officer who was jailed earlier this year will be barred from service in the future after a misconduct hearing ruled he would have been sacked if he had not resigned.
Rhett Wilson, 28,who was previously based in Shropshire, was found to have breached the standards of professional behaviour in relation to discreditable conduct in a hearing on Friday.
In January this year Wilson was sentenced to two years and 10 months in jail after being convicted of perverting the course of justice and police corruption, following a trial at Worcester Crown Court.
He had previously pleaded guilty to three police corruption offences.
Wilson had approached a total of three Shropshire women during his time as a West Mercia Police officer. All three had come into contact with him after reporting allegations of domestic violence.
The officer, previously from Jellalabad Barracks in Tidworth, shared sexual images that one victim had sent to him with three of his friends, and told them he risked losing his job or going to jail for his actions.
In Whatsapp messages recovered by police, Wilson had boasted to his friends about his sexual activities with the women, saying: "Big R slaying more victims of crime."
On Friday, the accelerated misconduct hearing, heard how he abused his position for sexual purposes between December 2019 and April 2020
Wilson joined the force in April 2019 and the offences began in December that year.
He was arrested on March 10, 2020, days after a referral was made into the force’s professional standards department
Wilson was interviewed over the next 48 hours and then suspended on March 12. He then resigned from the force in July 2020 while under investigation.
Friday's hearing was chaired by Chief Constable Pippa Mills.
Following the outcome she said such behaviour would not be tolerated within the ranks of the force.
She said: "Rhett Wilson’s actions were thoroughly reprehensible, and I recognise his behaviour would damage the public’s trust in the police.
"I would like to offer my assurances to the public that West Mercia Police will not tolerate this sort of behaviour and we will continue to root out corrupt officers and staff who fall below the threshold that is expected of them.
‘’Wilson will now be added to the College of Policing’s Barred List banning him from working for a UK police service in the future.”
