Police trainer had sex with rookie officer, told another she was a 'special girl' - and said one had 'nice leggings' as he pestered NINE new recruits with inappropriate behaviour

A senior police trainer who slept with a rookie officer and bombarded other young recruits in 'pursuit of sex' has been banned from the job.

PC Peter Miller used his senior position at Northumbria Police to subject nine female probationers to 'repeated and relentless' inappropriate behaviour, a misconduct hearing was told.

The father-of-one, who had more than 20 years' experience in policing, invited new recruits back to his home, some of whom took the offer as an 'invitation for sexual activity'.

A disciplinary hearing heard how Miller sent student officers unsolicited text messages and made late-night phone calls to one new recruit.

He told one trainee that she was a 'special girl', remarked that another was 'wearing nice leggings' and asked others to his house 'to play charades', it was said.

Miller was found to have abused his position to have consensual sex with a student officer at his home on two occasions, leaving her 'manipulated, upset and used'.

He was also said to have chatted to another recruit on a dating website and suggested that he would be 'sacked' if the force found out.

Assistant Chief Constable Alastair Simpson concluded the disgraced officer had 'acted with malign intent for sexual gratification'.

PC Peter Miller had sex with a recruit, told another she was his 'special girl' and said one had 'nice leggings' 

He said: 'PC Miller's conduct involved sexual impropriety.

'This conduct was predatory behaviour motivated by a desire to establish improper sexual relationships with junior colleagues.'

The hearing, in Houghton le Spring, Tyne and Wear, heard how Miller was well-respected by superiors as a trainer of fledgling police officers.

Yet he was found to have used his position to contact female students with 'the intent of pursuing sexual relationships'.

One young officer said Miller's behaviour left her feeling 'uncomfortable', 'freaked out' and 'almost degraded'.

Another told investigating officers: 'We were vulnerable at the time. We were in training, we were new to the role and realistically subjected to peer pressure.'

Miller resigned from Northumbria Police last week, days before the disciplinary panel could dismiss him for gross misconduct.

The disciplinary ruled that Miller would have been sacked had he still been serving and ordered that his name be placed on the police barred list.

Miller resigned from Northumbria Police however the misconduct panel ruled he would have been sacked if he was still serving

Mr Simpson said: 'The officer's conduct was intentional, deliberate, targeted towards student female officers and part of a pattern of repeated conduct.'

Miller was not present or represented at the disciplinary hearing. He previously insisted his messages to trainees were merely 'friendly' and maintained that his sexual encounter with one of the women had been 'consensual'.

Olivia Checa Dover, presenting the case for the police, said he had abused his position by sleeping with a significantly more junior colleague while serving as the main trainer of her cohort.

The hearing was told he began messaging the woman on her private number within two months of her starting her police training.

Ms Checa Dover said: 'Once she came to know of his wider reputation she felt manipulated and as if she was the weak one who had been picked by him.

'We do not say that this was not a consensual relationship. But very much in the context of him being the trainer, within a very short space of time, they'd met, they'd kissed, they'd had sex, and then he loses his interest in her.

'It was foreseeable that she was going to be left feeling like this.'

The disciplinary panel heard Miller had been warned about his conduct towards trainees in November 2021.

He was ultimately found to have breached professional standards by behaving inappropriately towards new recruits and forming an intimate relationship with a student officer between September 2020 and January 2021.

He was cleared of breaking Covid regulations when he had sex with the woman during lockdown.

Mr Simpson concluded: 'On the balance of probabilities, PC Miller repeatedly sent messages to female student officers with the intent of pursuing sexual relationships.'

He added: 'The police are in a privileged position of trust and the public expect them to conduct themselves in the correct manner.

'It is also important to send a clear message as to the standards expected of officers and to deter others from similar behaviour.

'The most appropriate finding is that the officer would have been dismissed.'