Police officer caught kissing inmate while in uniform - after secret romance with two criminals
A former police officer was caught out after she kissed an inmate in prison, while in her uniform, after smuggling confidential information to criminals.
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Choni Kenny, 27, was caught in a passionate embrace with inmate Josh Whelan, 31, while visiting him in Forest Bank Prison, Salford.
Kenny claims to they had a "casual sexual relationship" with Whelan, but she broke up with the "committed criminal" shortly after.
The ex-officer then started an illicit romance with Rahim Mottley, who was under investigation by the Greater Manchester Police.
Kenny then passed on confidential information to Mottley, after he was extradited from Spain.
She has now been sentenced to three years and nine months after pleading guilty to four offences of misconduct in public office and one of conspiracy to commit misconduct.
Judge Flewitt, while sentencing, said: "Your actions were not motivated by a desire for a financial or other advantage or borne out of any malice.
"They were a consequence of your naivety, immaturity and wish to maintain the friendship of Josh Whelan and Rahim Mottley."
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Liverpool Crown Court head Kenny was in a relationship with Whelan while he was in prison and she was a serving police officer.
The pair would communicate with mobile phones paid for and delivered by Kenny.
They split up after Whelan was released and Kenny then started a relationship with Mottley, who was under investigation by GMP and had moved to Spain.
Mottley was extradited from Spain in October 2024 to face the courts following his arrest three months earlier by the National Crime Agency.
He tasked Kenny to keep him up to date with police intelligence, which she did by accessing and passing on confidential information.
Her relationship with Mottley was described as "physical but casual".
Meanwhile, she was "infatuated" with Whelan, the court heard.
Anti-Corruption Officers investigated Kenny using CCTV, and analysing her phone and computer usage and were able to identify that she’d passed it on.
It was proved she had accessed sensitive information on GMP’s IT system when she had no lawful purpose and had communicated with Whelan while he was in prison on the mobile phones she provided.
Mottley, of no fixed address, has been sentenced to two years and two months.
Whelan, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to three charges of possessing an illegal mobile phone in prison.
Detective Chief Superintendent Mike Allen, head of GMP’s Professional Standards Directorate, said: "Whenever we receive reports of misconduct by one of our officers, we will always conduct a thorough investigation.
"Kenny abused her position as a police officer and tried to compromise a police investigation by accessing and passing on confidential information.
"She also entered into an illegal relationship with a known criminal while he was behind bars and given this criminality the full weight of our specialist Anti-Corruption Unit was brought to bear against her.
"Kenny’s actions plainly amounted to serious corruption and it is right that she now contemplates her future from behind the bars of the prison estate where she is now incarcerated.
"Kenny’s jail term is fully deserved - she does not represent the thousands of professional, honest, hard-working police officers across Greater Manchester who continue to protect the public every day.
"This anti-corruption operation against Kenny, Whelan and Mottley is testament to the expertise of GMP’s Anti-Corruption Unit and their commitment to ripping out any corruption that tries to take hold in GMP.
"If any officers or members of the public have any suspicions about the behaviour of one of our officers then they should report in the confidence that we will investigate.
"Kenny was dismissed from the police service following an accelerated misconduct hearing on 1 April 2025."