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PC in court accused of posting arrests on WhatsApp

BBC The side of Chelmsford Magistrates' Court, which is white with large windows. It has a large crest on the wall with the lettering "magistrates' courts".BBC
Charlotte Nelson appeared before Chelmsford Magistrates' Court in a brief hearing on Thursday

A former police officer has appeared in court accused of sharing details of arrests in a personal WhatsApp group.

Charlotte Nelson, 25, is also alleged to have used her mobile phone to film body camera footage from an incident in Suffolk.

The former Suffolk Police constable, who has since resigned from the force, appeared before Chelmsford Magistrates' Court on Thursday.

The defendant, of Cedar Drive, Worlingham, is due to enter pleas to a series of charges at Ipswich Crown Court in January.

Court documents showed Ms Nelson was also accused of using internal police systems "without a legitimate policing purpose to do so".

Her alleged offending was said to have taken place while acting as a police officer between January 2022 and October 2023.

Ms Nelson appeared in court charged with three offences:

  • Knowingly or recklessly obtain or disclose personal data without consent of controller on 10 occasions between 20 January 2022 and 3 October 2023
  • Holder of a public office wilfully neglected to perform duty/wilfully misconducted herself between 26 January 2022 and 27 January 2022
  • Cause a computer to perform function to secure/enable unauthorised access to a program/data between 8 April 2022 and 31 May 2022

District Judge Christopher Williams fixed her next court hearing for 16 January.

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