A “predatory” community support officer who abused his position of trust to engage in completely inappropriate sexual relations with three women was sentenced to two years and 10 months.
Simon Smith abruptly had sexual contact with vulnerable women before trying to cover up his activities when police launched an investigation against him. He has had a history of inappropriate behavior with a number of women over the years, even though he was married at the time, Hull Crown Court heard.
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Smith, 49, of Gilberdike, pleaded guilty to three counts of misconduct and one of misrepresentation. They include:
- Misconduct in public service between June 30, 2018 and April 28, 2019, including initiating and conducting sexual intercourse with a woman during service.
- Misconduct in public service between February 2 and May 9, 2019, including initiating and conducting sexual intercourse with a second woman.
- Misconduct of the civil service on February 10, 2019, by providing his personal phone number to a third woman and encouraging her to contact him and suggesting that such behavior would be hidden from the police, as well as sending unsolicited text messages to her with intention to initiate a sexual relationship.
- Distorting the course of justice on September 1, 2019, by going to the second woman’s home and telling her to tell the police that they had just been friends, while knowing that the investigation was ongoing.
PCSO Simon Smith was in jail (Image: Humberside Police)
Jonathan Sandford QC, a prosecutor, said Smith behaved “predatorily” towards women while wearing a PCSO uniform and approached a number of women to have sex with them. He has sex with women while working in uniform and has access to them as part of his duties. He uses his police station in Howden as a base for his activities and meets them there or elsewhere.
After the hearing, the head of professional standards at Humberside Police, Detective Superintendent Matt Baldwin, said: “As a PCSO, Smith was in a role that was trusted by the local community and he abused his position for his own benefit and sexual gain. “I want to thank the victims in this case for their courage and bravery in supporting the investigation, because without their help, the result would not have been possible today.
“Smith’s actions were completely reprehensible, and we will absolutely not tolerate, accept or approve of this kind of behavior, which could ultimately undermine public confidence in us as the Humberside police and the police. I hope Smith uses his time behind bars to consider the consequences of his actions and the impact his behavior has had on his victims and the wider community.
“I would encourage anyone who believes they may have been a victim of this type of crime by a police officer to report it and be confident that it will always be treated sensitively and taken seriously. We hold all our employees to the highest standards of conduct, and their integrity and professionalism are critical to maintaining the trust and confidence of the communities we serve.
“Smith’s insidious and repulsive behavior has seriously failed to maintain and maintain the standards of both us and, more importantly, the society we expect. We will always investigate in depth any wrongdoing within the forces, and I would like to clarify that there are no exceptions.
“We are constantly striving to improve and ensure excellent policing of our communities, and anyone who does not fulfill their responsibility to serve and protect society and meet our high expectations will always be held unreservedly accountable for their actions.
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