A former police officer who harassed women for sex after meeting them during a service has been jailed.
Oliver Perry Smith of the Thames Valley Police has been described as a “sexual predator” targeting vulnerable women.
The 38-year-old man was sentenced to three years and six months in prison by the Reding Crown court on Friday, the IOPC, the Independent Police Behavior Service (IOPC), said.
Perry, who was at the Newbury police station, had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of misconduct.
He also pleaded guilty to charges of unauthorized access to computer materials, in violation of the 1990 Computer Abuse Act.
The IOPC found that Perry-Smith had a gross violation case back in November 2019 and launched an investigation.
He resigned from the Thames Valley Police in February this year.
The court was told that between September 2014 and November 2019, Perry-Smith persecuted six women after meeting them through his duties.
He is said to have had sex with three of the women and tried to have sex with the others.
The guard said he also looked for details about one of these women and the seventh woman in the police computer systems – without a police target.
The actions of the police officer came to light at the end of 2019, when a woman called the police and reported that Perry-Smith, who had previously visited her friend’s house, later sent an obscene image through text.
Image: Perry-Smith will be put on the banned list, preventing future work in the police service
The guard found that the police officer also searched for details about her and her family in the police computer system.
In another case, Perry-Smith used a police computer to identify a woman using her car registration after parking next to her and watching her enter a store, the IOPC reported.
The woman filed a complaint with the IOPC after he showed up at her home without police intent and made personal comments about her appearance, even though she knew she was alone with a young child.
IOPC Regional Director Graham Beasley paid tribute to all the women who bravely spoke out to help with the investigation.
“sexual predator”
He said: “Perry-Smith was a sexual predator and his behavior caused significant stress to the women involved.
“He was prolific in abusing his position for five years and his actions were deliberate, deliberate, purposeful and planned.
“His actions were often at the expense of his official police duties.”
Crown Senior Prosecutor Charles White of the Crown Prosecution Service said Perry-Smith took advantage of his “privileged position and access to police resources to pursue several women for several years.”
He added that the officer had “abused his power, violated public trust and made many women feel uncomfortable or insecure about being inappropriately persecuted.”
The IOPC stated that a gross violation of Perry-Smith had been established for violating police standards of professional conduct for authority, respect and courtesy; duties and responsibilities; honesty and integrity; and discrediting behavior.
Perry-Smith will also be put on the banned list, preventing future work in the police force, the supervisory body said.
Thames Valley Deputy Chief of Police Jason Hogg said the forces “took strict action by referring his case to the Independent Police Conduct Service and following our own misconduct procedures.”
He added that he was “pleased that Perry-Smith is facing justice for his actions and is no longer part of the Thames Valley police”.
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