Cheshire Police PC who had sex with vulnerable mother jailed

Jordan Masterson had claimed he was "powerless" to stop the woman from having sex with him

A police officer who had sex with a vulnerable mother after responding to a 999 call has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.

Cheshire Police constable Jordan Masterson turned his body-worn camera off 15 minutes after arriving at the woman's home on 28 December 2021.

Chester Crown Court heard they had consensual sex while her children were asleep upstairs.

The 28-year-old was found guilty of misconduct in a public office.

Judge Michael Leeming, passing sentence on Friday, said Masterson had "taken advantage" of the woman, referred to only as Female G, for his own sexual purposes.

'Yourself to blame'

The judge noted Masterson had dreamed of joining the police since he was a teenager.

But he told him: "You see yourself as the victim and you blame her for ruining your career. I reject those assertions.

"You have now lost that career and you only have yourself to blame for that."

Female G said the incident was "beyond traumatic" and she was no longer the person she was.

"I have zero trust in the police and figures of authority," she added.

Former PC Jordan Masterson was found guilty at Chester Crown Court

The jury had heard the woman had called the police to report a disturbance and was intoxicated and "emotional" when 28-year-old Masterson arrived.

She later made a complaint, and Masterson was interviewed by detectives under caution.

Masterson, of Townsend Lane in Liverpool, claimed he felt "powerless" and "unable to react" after Female G left the room and returned naked.

He claimed she instigated contact and pulled him on top of her onto the sofa.

He told the jury: "I just remember being confused, feeling completely numb like I was glued to the floor."

The court heard a vulnerable person's assessment form, which Masterson completed after visiting the woman, warned officers to "be wary of what this female may do in the future and I urge my colleagues to attend double-crewed".

Masterson left after they had sex but later returned to her home, after more emergency calls.

He denied "pleading" with her not to tell anyone about what had happened.

Vanessa Thomson, defending, said her client's mental health had deteriorated since his arrest and that a medical report had stated he was likely suffering the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from childhood trauma.

Masterson has since been diagnosed with "complex PTSD", the court was told.

Masterson resigned from the force in 2022

The defendant's partner and her family continue to support him, Miss Thomson added.

Masterson was also handed an indefinite restraining order prohibiting him from contacting Female G.

He resigned from Cheshire Constabulary in the summer of 2022 after almost two years of service.

An accelerated misconduct hearing was held by the force before the criminal proceedings and gross misconduct was found proven.

Masterson, who would have been dismissed from the force had he not already resigned, was placed on the College of Policing barred list, meaning he cannot be employed in policing in the future.

Watchdog The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) conducted the criminal investigation after Cheshire Police referred the matter in 2021.

IOPC regional director Catherine Bates described Masterson's offence as "appalling".

"The police are there to help the people they serve, not exploit them", she said.

"Abuse of position for a sexual purpose is serious corruption and has absolutely no place in policing.

"Former PC Masterson has shown no remorse for his actions. He took advantage of a woman he knew to be vulnerable and in doing so damaged her trust in the police."