Gloucestershire Police officer indulged in ‘rape fantasy’ with teenage girl, misconduct hearing told

Gloucestershire: A police officer is in hot water after a misconduct hearing revealed he had a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl. Detective Constable Nicholas Henry, who was in his mid-20s at the time, is facing serious allegations.

According to the hearing, he met the girl online back in 2008 on a social media site called Faceparty. They started chatting when she was just 15, but he waited until she turned 16 to meet up in person, which then led to sexual activity.

During the hearing, it came out that he admitted to being in a relationship with her, but claimed it only lasted about three months after she turned 16. The whole situation came to light when the girl, referred to as Witness A, shared her story with an off-duty police sergeant during a hen party in 2023.

That sergeant reported it, leading to an investigation by Gloucestershire Police’s professional standards department. At the time, Henry was working in the rape and serious sexual offences unit, which makes this even more concerning.

Mr. Sapiecha, representing the Appropriate Authority, alleged that Henry and the girl exchanged explicit images and that he encouraged her to participate in a “rape fantasy.” Henry denies these claims, saying the relationship was consensual.

Mr. Sapiecha pointed out that while Henry waited until the girl was 16 for sexual activity, there were grooming aspects to their relationship. He raised the question of whether the public would find it appropriate for a 25-year-old officer to be involved with a 16-year-old schoolgirl.

One incident discussed involved the girl realizing Henry wanted to engage in anal sex, which she declined. He reportedly thought she was playing a game, but when he understood she wasn’t consenting, he stopped and apologized. They never spoke of that night again.

Witness A later expressed that she didn’t want to formally accuse him, as they hadn’t parted on bad terms. However, she was concerned he might have done something similar to someone else.

Henry wasn’t present at the hearing and didn’t have representation, but he did submit a statement denying any wrongdoing. He claims the relationship started when she was 16 and insists she lied about her age to get on the site.

The hearing is ongoing, and it’s clear this case raises serious questions about the officer’s conduct and the implications of such relationships.