Met police officer sacked for allegedly assaulting 12-year-old girl by spanking her bare bottom
28 September 2024, 15:12
A police officer has been sacked and banned from ever policing again after being accused of spanking a 12-year-old girl’s bare bottom.
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Metropolitan Police officer Ross Benson, of the north west basic command unit, allegedly smacked the girl on several occasions between April and August 2018 when she was 12 and 13.
There was an alleged sexual element to this abuse.
The child was known to him and the alleged spankings happened when he was off-duty.
Benson was arrested by Bedfordshire Police on November 6 2020 but in September 2021 he was told no further action would be taken.
On Friday, a Met Police hearing concluded he had breached standards and was guilty of gross misconduct.
He was dismissed without notice and placed on the barred list held by the College of Policing.
Detective Superintendent Will Lexton-Jones said: "My thoughts are first and foremost with the victim who displayed courage in reporting this.
"Pc Benson's abhorrent behaviour has led to his immediate dismissal, which is a decision I fully support.
"I hope this outcome demonstrates how we are rooting out those who do not demonstrate the high standards we demand from our officers."
Last year, a Met police officer was sacked for "sexual activity" with a runaway child - but prosecutors refused to take the case to court.
The policeman, identified only as Officer A, contacted "Child A" on social media in August 2019 and arranged to meet them, then "engaged in sexual activity" with the child, a misconduct hearing was told.
Officer A also allowed the child, who was a runaway, to stay with them that month and did not inform police or social services.
He then asked the child to go to Romford police station and ask for them, but not to mention they knew each other. The officer never recorded he had found the "missing person".
But he was accused of serious sexual assault in September 2019.
He then faced a criminal investigation and was arrested after being suspended from duty.
However, the Crown Prosecution Service decided the case against Officer A did not meet the threshold for a criminal prosecution and a challenge to that decision was unsuccessful, the Met said.
The force then held a misconduct hearing, which found Officer A - who was attached to East Area Command Unit - breached police standards of professional behaviour and honesty and integrity.
