A Metropolitan Police officer accused of sharing CCTV footage of two women being raped held the book of a falsely accused MP as he appeared in the dock to face criminal charges.
PC Adam Aspinall Da Encarnacao, 32, is charged with two counts of misconduct in public office over the alleged incidents in 2021 and 2022.
The officer appeared at Westminster magistrates court on Monday to face the charges for the first time, and indicated to the court he intends to plead not guilty.
Aspinall Da Encarnacao held a copy of Credible and True: The Political And Personal Memoir of K Harvey Proctor while standing in the dock.
Mr Proctor, a former Conservative MP, was wrongly accused of sexual offences, before being exonerated in an investigation that discovered the claims had been made by a serial fantasist.
Aspinall Da Encarnacao, who is attached to the policing team in West Area, is accused of sharing the CCTV footage of the rape of Natalie Shotter, 37, who died on 17 July 2021 in Southall Park after a night out with friends.
The Metropolitan Police said he is accused of sharing a video of the rape of a second woman, and she has been informed of the criminal charges.
Aspinall Da Encarnacao was arrested on September 12, 2022 and immediately suspended from duty. He was then charged with two counts of misconduct in public office on July 3 this year.
“It is a serious allegation,” said District Judge Briony Clarke.
“It is said you showed material in investigations to someone you are not supposed to show it to.”
The officer, who lives in Loudwater in Buckinghamshire, was set free on unconditional bail until a hearing at Southwark crown court on September 9.
He held the same book in his arms as he was photographed leaving the courthouse.
