A police officer who had sex with a woman while responding to a 999 call to her home, before allegedly begging her not to tell anyone, has been jailed.
Jordan Masterson turned his bodycam off and claimed to feel “powerless” while having sex with the female during the visit to her home in Widnes in Cheshire in the early hours of 28 December, 2021.
Cheshire Constabulary have now released a picture of the 28-year-old as he was sentenced at Chester Crown Court on Friday after being found guilty of misconduct in a public office following a trial earlier this year.
He was jailed for three and a half years for the “gross breach of trust” and was handed an indefinite restraining order preventing him from contacting the woman, known as female G.
Sentencing Masterson, Judge Michael Leeming said: “Your behaviour over the course of this night and your dealings with the victim amounted to a gross breach of trust.
“The public is entitled to expect their police officers to act with the utmost integrity. Female G needed your help. Instead you took advantage of her to satisfy your own sexual needs. You see yourself as the victim and you blame her for ruining your career.”
The trial heard how Masterson arrived at the home, where the woman’s children were asleep, while responding to the report of a disturbance.
The woman told officers the “atmosphere changed” when the probationary police constable, who has since resigned, touched her hand.
Masterson told the court it was the woman who touched his hand, adding that she walked out of the room before returning naked.
“I remember just being confused, feeling completely numb like I was glued to the floor,” he claimed. He added “he was powerless”.
Mr Leeming said: “I reject those assertions. You told the jury that it was your dream since being a teenager to join the police.
“You have now lost that career and you only have yourself to blame for that.”
After the event, he returned to her house after more emergency calls, and later denied “pleading” with her not to tell anyone what happened.
But the woman called the police to report the incident, initially using the word “rape”, but then saying she had wanted sex.
Asked in court about why she said she had been raped, the woman said: “That’s the word to describe how I felt. I felt completely violated.”
Vanessa Thomson, defending, said her client’s mental health had deteriorated since his arrest and that a medical report had stated in December 2021 he was likely suffering the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder from childhood trauma.
The defendant’s partner and her family continue to support him, Miss Thomson added.
Masterson, who would have been dismissed from the force had he not already resigned, was placed on the barred list, meaning he cannot be employed in policing in the future.
Independent Office for Police Conduct regional director Catherine Bates said: “Former Pc Masterson’s disgraceful behaviour has absolutely no place in policing, and he has now been held accountable for his actions.”
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
