A police chief superintendent has been dismissed after he had sexual contact with a woman while on duty, the complaints watchdog has found.
Tom Simons, of Essex police, abused his senior position for a sexual purpose with two women, including by touching a colleague inappropriately and failing to disclose a relationship with one of them, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said on Friday.
He continued his behaviour despite being reminded about the importance of maintaining professional boundaries, the watchdog found.
Essex police first referred the case to the IOPC in March 2022 after multiple allegations, at which time the officer was suspended, the force said.
The IOPC interviewed Simons under criminal caution, executed a search warrant of his house and checked his mobile phone and other devices as part of the investigation.
In January 2024, the watchdog referred the case to the Crown Prosecution Service to consider criminal charges relating to alleged sexual offences, coercive control and misconduct in public office, but it was decided in June that he would not be charged, the IOPC said.
A panel chaired by John Murphy, the assistant chief constable of Bedfordshire police, found Simons had committed gross misconduct and breached the police professional standards of behaviour.
Simons, who denied all the allegations, was dismissed without notice and will be placed on the College of Policing barred list.
The IOPC director, Emily Barry, said: “I would like to praise the courage of the women, preyed on by this officer, who came forward to report his behaviour.
“They faced pressure from him as a senior officer, but it’s thanks to them that our investigation was able to gather the strong evidence that was put before the panel at the misconduct hearing, resulting in his dismissal.
“He has deservedly lost his job and it’s behaviour like this that damages the public’s trust and confidence in police officers.”
Ben-Julian Harrington, the chief constable of Essex police, said: “There is simply no place in policing for people who think, wrongly, that they can get away with sexual misconduct.
“It’s super-clear in Essex; if you speak up, you’ll be listened to and there will be action to help you.
“But if you try to get away with sexual misconduct or the kind of abhorrent behaviour we have seen in this case, we’ll catch you.
“We’ll investigate you and if allegations are proved then we’ll do everything in our power to make sure you never work in policing again.”
