‘Predatory’ police sergeant who sent explicit photos and messages to female colleagues for 12 years is found guilty of gross misconduct – as force chief says more officers will face disciplinary action

A ‘predatory’ police officer sent explicit photos and messages to female colleagues for 12 years before he was finally reported, it has emerged.

Temporary detective sergeant Thomas Harvey – who investigated sexual offences – first sent photos of a man’s private parts to a victim 2011 – 2012.

Another was sent to an acting sergeant in 2015 with the message: ‘What would you do with that?’

He harassed women with lurid comment such as ‘When sitting on my face?’ and asked what they wore in bed.

The married officer – who was nominated for officer of the year in 2017 – also breached data rules by storing sensitive details from rape cases.

A ‘predatory’ police officer sent explicit photos and messages to female colleagues for 12 years

Temporary detective sergeant Thomas Harvey – who investigated sexual offences was nominated for officer of the year in 2017

This included photographing part of a witness statement from a woman containing an explicit description of a rape.

Harvey was finally investigated after a victim reported him. She had given him her number in the hope he would advise her on how to progress her career.

Worryingly, one woman who received a photo of a penis told investigators she hadn’t reported him because she ‘just thought that it was one of those things that, unfortunately, females get’.

The case comes at a time when there have been growing concerns about rogue police officers following high-profile cases including Wayne Couzens and David Carrick.

A misconduct panel has now ruled the Norfolk officer’s behaviour amounted to gross misconduct and he would have been sacked without notice for breaching professional standards if he had not already quit.

The three-person panel concluded his behaviour was motivated by sexual gratification and amounted to ‘deliberate predatory steps’ over a significant period of time.

Chairman Andrew Hearn said: ‘The panel considered this to be a very serious case of misogyny and inappropriate behaviour towards females, including female officers, over an extended period where this issue has been highlighted as one of national concern for policing.

‘Equally, the failure on the part of an officer of rank to respect the confidentiality of sensitive data is a very serious matter.’

The unsolicited messages and photos began in 2011 when Harvey sent multiple photos of a penis to the same woman for around a year.

In 2021, he messaged a police worker asking: ‘When are you sitting on my face then?’

Another was asked: ‘How good a friend are you? I need help with a back, sack and crack. Would you help me?’

A custody detention officer was asked whether she wore pyjamas or nothing in bed and a special constable received a message about the tightness of her uniform trousers.

The colleague who reported Harvey in February last year received a photo of a penis on WhatsApp with the message: ‘If you want to see what I’ve got…’

The investigation into his conduct revealed he kept case information on his mobile phone, including the photo of a witness in a rape investigation, as well as her number and aliases.

Much of his work at the time would have involved investigating serious sexual offences, the panel noted.

‘That fact, coupled with the training which he will have received, should have made him acutely sensitive to the need to ensure that communications with colleagues were appropriate and treat sensitive information relating to the commission of alleged sexual offences,’ Mr Hearn added.

‘Yet his conduct revealed a complete failure on his part to do either of those things and all this further aggravated his offending behaviour.’

The number of Norfolk officers facing misconduct hearings soared almost 50 per cent last year.

Chief Constable Paul Sanford has said he expects more officers to face disciplinary action in the coming months as scrutiny increases.

Harvey, who was once a beat manager in Poringland, quit the force in April last year.

He refused to attend the misconduct hearing last month and was not represented.

Interviewed under caution in June, he initially said ‘no comment’ to all questions.

Later on he explained his keeping of personal data, saying: ‘Everything is work-related in my time at work when I am dealing with a number of jobs and I have not done anything with any material or meeting anyone or anything like that.’

Chief Constable Paul Sanford said: ‘Harvey’s actions were completely inappropriate. Such behaviour has no place in policing, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the women who came forward and provided accounts to our Professional Standards Department. We want a healthy culture in our organisation, and I do not underestimate the courage it takes to be an upstander.

‘I am committed to rooting out people who have no place in policing, the public expect and deserve the utmost professionalism. When these high standards are not met, we will act.

‘There are a great many officers and staff who come into work every day, wanting to do the very best for the communities they serve and it’s important their efforts are not undermined by a minority.’