Following an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), Hampshire Constabulary accepts five recommendations to improve how it monitors people on its sex offender register.
THE investigation was launched in April 2017 into how the force managed Sam Ashley, a registered sex offender, between June 2016 and December 2016 following a referral from Hampshire Constabulary.
During this period it emerged that Ashley had been accused of a series of sex offences against men across Hampshire and Dorset who he drugged and attacked after meeting on the dating app Grindr.
On May 10, 2018 at Portsmouth Crown Court he was convicted of four counts of rape, two attempted rapes and four charges of administering a substance with intent. He was subsequently sentenced to 23 years in jail.
The Hampshire Constabulary investigation lasted five months and concluded in September 2017.
The IOPC found that two Hampshire Constabulary staff should receive management action regarding their performance and offered learning recommendations on how sex offenders should be managed that have been accepted and acted upon by Hampshire Constabulary.
The recommendations include improved sharing and recording of information on internal logs and changes to how risk assessments are conducted.
To read the recommendations in full, click here:
IOPC Regional Director Sarah Green said: “Mr Ashley has been convicted of extremely serious offences and has been jailed for a significant length of time.
“It should be made clear that while our investigation did not reveal any behaviour by any Hampshire employees that could be considered misconduct, we did make some recommendations as to how the force could improve the way it manages people on the registered sex offenders list.
“I am pleased that Hampshire has moved quickly to accept and implement those recommendations.”
To read a redacted report of the investigation, click here:
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