Basildon former police inspector charged with sexual assault

Jonathan McLeod was serving at Basildon police station at the time of the alleged offences

A former police officer accused of kissing a woman and touching her bottom at a police station has appeared in court charged with sexual assault.

Jonathan McLeod, 37, of Leigh-on-Sea in Essex, was serving at Basildon police station at the time of the alleged offences between 2016 and 2018.

The former inspector resigned from Essex Police in March.

Mr McLeod did not enter a formal plea at Basildon Magistrates' Court but indicated he would plead not guilty.

The four charges of sexual assault all concern the same alleged victim, a woman aged over 16.

It is alleged Mr McLeod touched her bottom "on repeated occasions" when she did not consent.

The other three allegations are of kissing the woman when she did not consent, with two of the counts said to have happened at Basildon police station and the other at a Tesco car park in the town.

Mr McLeod was bailed to appear before Ipswich Crown Court on 8 October.