Police Community Support Officer charged with rape

Liam McCormack has been charged with the rape of a woman in December 2016

A serving Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) has been charged with rape, following an investigation.

Liam McCormack, 41, who is based in Bristol, has been charged with the rape of a woman in South Gloucestershire in December 2016.

He will appear at Bristol Magistrates' Court on 14 July.

Avon and Somerset Police said McCormack had been suspended since December 2021, when the incident was reported to the police by a third party.

The force said McCormack was off-duty at the time of the alleged offence and that an investigation was immediately launched when the incident was reported.

A file of evidence was provided to the Crown Prosecution Service, which authorised the charge to be brought.

A referral was also made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which said the circumstances were suitable for a local investigation by Avon and Somerset Police.

In addition to the criminal investigation, the force said its Professional Standards Department is carrying out an investigation into potential breaches of standards of professional behaviour.