Officer who used police-issue handcuffs during sex is barred from the force

A former police officer who used his force handcuffs during sex would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had he not already resigned, a disciplinary panel has ruled.

Benjamin Mace, a former police constable with Cambridgeshire Constabulary, also visited a woman in police uniform while off duty, and was investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

The panel found that the 41-year-old officer’s actions breached professional behaviour standards.

The panel heard that the former officer, who resigned in October 2021, first met the woman in October 2019 by matching on a dating app.

In his profile, Mace said he was a police officer based in Peterborough and after exchanging messages for around a month, he arranged to meet the woman in person at her address.

He turned up dressed in his police uniform despite being off duty and without a policing purpose.

He put her in police-issue handcuffs while engaging in sexual contact with the woman, the panel was told.

At a hearing on Thursday, the panel concluded that the former officer had breached the police standards of professional behaviour relating to honesty and integrity, and discreditable conduct.

He was placed on the police’s barred list.

IOPC regional director Charmaine Arbouin said: “The public have a right to expect police officers to maintain high levels of professionalism and integrity, whether on or off duty. PC Mace abused his position as a police officer and his actions are a discredit to policing and undermine the public’s confidence in the service.

“While this officer has since resigned from policing, as a result of this hearing he’ll be placed on the police barred list and cannot be employed as an officer in the future.”

The IOPC investigation began from a conduct referral from the force in May 2020.

The watchdog passed an evidence file to the Crown Prosecution Service, which authorised a charge of sexual assault by touching in January 2022. The charge was later dropped.

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