Masturbating Met Officer case under review

The Met Officer was convicted of outraging public decency in 2018 and given a written warning

A Met officer who remained in his job after being caught masturbating on a train, is having his case reviewed.

He was given just a written warning following a 2018 conviction for outraging public decency.

The case is among 1,100 files from the past 10 years being reviewed by the Met, the Commons Home Affairs Committee heard on Wednesday.

Sophie Linden, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime in London, called it "unacceptable".

The force is carrying out a review of cases where officers and staff had been accused of domestic violence or sexual offences but remained with the force.

It was launched in the wake of the case of former Met officer David Carrick, who has been jailed for series of sex offences.

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Committee chairwoman Dame Diana Johnson, referring to the 2018 case, said: "He was actually convicted but he wasn't dismissed from the Metropolitan Police.

"He's still serving as I understand it, that officer is still in post, although he's not in a position where he's front-facing with the public."

Ms Linden said: "That decision was made in the previous regime and its current leadership have made it very clear that that is a decision that would not have been taken under the present leadership at the Metropolitan Police."

Concerns have been raised about indecent exposure as a potential gateway to more serious crimes after the case of Wayne Couzens, who went on to rape and murder Sarah Everard.

He was accused of three counts of indecent exposure but remained working as a police officer.

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