A Gloucestershire Police officer began a relationship with a 15-year-old girl which later became sexual and involved indulging in his “rape fantasy”, a misconduct hearing has been told. Detective Constable Nicholas Henry is accused of gross misconduct after beginning the relationship with the teenager when he was in his mid-20s.
A disciplinary hearing at Gloucestershire Police headquarters heard Det Con Henry met the girl online using the Faceparty social media networking site. David Sapiecha, representing the Appropriate Authority, alleged the officer had met the girl online in 2008 when she was aged 15 and then waited until she turned 16 before meeting in person and it becoming sexual.
The hearing heard Det Con Henry accepted he was in a relationship with the girl – known only as Witness A – but said it lasted for only around three months after she turned 16.
Mr Sapiecha said an investigation was launched into Det Con Henry after the complainant disclosed details of the relationship to an off-duty police sergeant during a weekend hen party in 2023 during a discussion about the murder of Sarah Everard and police misogyny.
That officer then reported it to Gloucestershire Police’s professional standards department. At the time of the investigation being launched, Det Con Henry was working for the force’s rape and serious sexual offences unit.
Outlining the case against Det Con Henry, Mr Sapiecha alleged the officer and the girl had shared sexually explicit images and she had appeared topless on a webcam for him. “He had a rape fantasy and he encouraged her to take part in a rape fantasy,” Mr Sapiecha said. “He denies this.”
Mr Sapiecha went on: “Shortly after she became 16, sexual activity took place and he was aged 25. Although he waited until she was 16 to have sexual intercourse, that period may well have a grooming aspect to it.
“She would have been vulnerable. Would the public consider a relationship between a 25-year-old police officer and a 16-year-old schoolgirl to be appropriate? It should be obvious that it would be inappropriate. In the build up to this it is likely to have an element of grooming.”
The hearing was told of an incident where the officer indulged in a “rape fantasy” with the girl. Mr Sapiecha said: “Witness A spoke about one occasion when they had consensual sex and later that day engaged in sexual activity and she realised Det Con Henry wanted anal sex and she said no.
“She believes that Det Con Henry thought she was playing a rape game … but when he realised she was not consenting, he stopped and apologised. They never spoke about that night again and the relationship continued until she went to university aged 18.
“The Appropriate Authority’s position is that this isn’t an allegation of rape because he believed she was consenting and when he realised she was not consenting he did stop.”
The hearing heard the relationship had ended by the time she went to university, and she only saw him again once when she was 22.
Investigating officer Detective Constable Denise Reen told the hearing: “(Witness A) made it clear she didn’t want to make a formal statement to me and didn’t want to get Det Con Henry into trouble. She said they hadn’t parted on bad terms and her concern was whether he had done it to someone else.
“It was at a time involving high-profile cases and whether there had been missed opportunities and that very much played on her mind.”
Det Con Henry was not attending the hearing and was not represented, although he had submitted a statement setting out his case and denying gross misconduct.
Mr Sapiecha said Det Con Henry maintained the relationship had started when Witness A was aged 16 and three months and lasted around three months. “Det Con Henry says (Witness A) lied about her age to get onto the online site and says there is no evidence that she told him she was 15 at the time,” he said.
“At no point did he say that he had a rape fantasy or encourage her to take part in a role play.”
The officer also denied sharing any indecent images with Witness A. The hearing, which is being chaired by Assistant Chief Constable Arman Mathieson, continues.