Former Waterlooville police inspector facing jail for sex attacks on young men

Gerard Hutchings, 66, a former inspector with Hampshire Police, made young men remove their clothes before subjecting them to sexual assaults.

Bristol Crown Court heard eight complainants said they were abused by Hutchings at police stations in the Hampshire area over an eight-year period. For a time he was based in Waterlooville as well as in the New Forest and the north of Hampshire.

Hutchings had denied 11 charges – five of indecent assault, five of causing a person to engage in a sexual activity without consent and one of misconduct in public office – but was convicted on all counts by the jury. He had admitted 17 counts of misconduct in a public office at a previous hearing.

The charges related to a total of 18 victims who were alone with Hutchings in his private office at the police station.

The court heard the complainants – aged in their late teens to early 30s and who cannot be identified for legal reasons – had been arrested for minor offences, such as shoplifting and possessing cannabis.

They reported being subject to an unjustified and illegal strip search by Hutchings, while being administered a caution or reprimand for a minor offence. He also sexually assaulted some of them during these procedures.

During the trial, eight victims gave evidence of how they felt during these unwarranted strip search procedures.

Hutchings had previously been jailed in 2008 after admitting 11 misconduct in a public office offences for similar offending and Hampshire Police sacked him in 2007 after the complaints were made following a fast-track disciplinary procedure.

In 2020, the force started a new investigation after receiving a report from a man who had been subject to a similar strip search in 2005.

As part of the investigation, officers cross-referenced Hutchings’ police notebook with police records to identify 373 people who came into contact with him at a station.

All those people were visited in person by officers, who used a non-leading questionnaire to establish whether they had been subject to any offences.

From there, a further 17 people provided statements on video detailing their experience of Hutchings.

Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Rob France said: “When someone comes into contact with our officers and staff, they should be treated with respect and professionalism.

“Hutchings’ behaviour was vile and degrading and clearly nowhere near the expectation we have of our officers.

“He was rightly sacked from the force when his offences first came to light in 2007.

“In 2020, when we received another report of his offending from around the same time period, we undertook a thorough investigation to establish the extent of Hutchings’ offending.

“Thanks to the bravery of the victims in recalling their experience, and the hard work of investigators, Hutchings now faces another spell in prison for his awful behaviour.”

Hutchings, of Ashurst, Southampton, will be sentenced on July 24.