Greater Manchester Police officer who had sex with rape victim jailed

A "predatory" police officer who had a secret sexual relationship with a rape victim has been jailed.

Simon Rose, 48, met the woman in May 2012 as part of his job dealing with rape and sexual assault allegations at Greater Manchester Police (GMP).

Judge David Swinnerton said Rose, of Parbold in Lancashire, had taken advantage of a "vulnerable victim".

He was found guilty of misconduct in a public office and jailed at Liverpool Crown Court for three years.

Rose, who had been an officer with GMP since 2007, came into contact with the victim through his role as a specially trained officer.

Their relationship continued for a number of years and was hidden until October 2019 when the woman's home was subject to a police search for firearms.

The court heard Rose had asked colleagues to ignore anything they might find.

Judge Swinnerton said he accepted Rose's motivation was to cover up his "own shameful secret".

The woman told officers her relationship with Rose had become sexual a few months after their first meeting.

Sentencing Rose, Judge Swinnerton said victims of sexual abuse felt under great pressure about reporting matters to the authorities.

He said it was "wholly unacceptable if one of those factors might be them subsequently being targeted by a predatory police officer".

"Police officers behaving like you did damages trust in the whole police service and it is to the detriment of every single police officer and society as a whole," he added.

Rose was also found guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice during the trial in January.

Speaking after the hearing, Independent Office for Police Conduct regional director Amanda Rowe said Rose "took advantage of a woman he knew to be vulnerable and his actions have absolutely no place in policing".

"His subsequent efforts to cover up his behaviour show he knew what he had done was unacceptable," she said.

GMP Deputy Chief Constable Terry Woods said misconduct proceedings against Rose would commence after his trial ended.

"It is imperative that police officers are held accountable for their actions," he said.

"We treat allegations of misconduct with the utmost seriousness and, whilst this investigation has been led by the IOPC, we have supported investigators fully."

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