Former police officer sentenced for abuse of power and perverting course of justice 

A former West Mercia Police officer, who used his position to inappropriately contact vulnerable women he met through his work, has been jailed for 34 months.

Rhett Wilson, 27, who was previously based in Shropshire, was sentenced today (20 January 2023) at Worcester Crown Court following his conviction of three counts of corrupt or other improper exercise of police powers and privileges, and one count of perverting the course of justice.

He admitted that he abused his position to pursue sexual relationships with the victims of domestic abuse and stalking but denied perverting the course of justice. However, following a trial at Worcester Crown Court on 8 December 2022, he was convicted of perverting the course of justice after he deleted messages and call data from his phone to hide his offences.

Giovanni D’Alessandro of the CPS said: “Rhett Wilson was fully aware of his professional obligations in relation to those he met through his duties. Yet, he targeted women he knew to be vulnerable and used his position of power to exploit them for his sexual gain. When he became aware of the police investigation into his behaviour, he deleted all evidence from his phone to evade justice, showing a blatant disrespect for the law.

“Police officers are expected to demonstrate the highest standards of personal and professional conduct, and the vast majority of police officers in West Mercia Police work tirelessly to serve our local communities. However, there are officers that break the law and abuse their position for their own benefit which undermines public confidence in policing and the justice system, and such offenders can and will be held accountable for their criminal conduct. I would like to thank the victims for their bravery. I hope this conviction and the sentence that followed reassures both them and the wider public that nobody is above the law.”