Former Northamptonshire Police officer pleads guilty to sex offence and misconduct in a public office

A 27-year-old man has pleaded guilty to two offences following an appearance at Leicester Crown Court this week.

Matthew Hunt, a former police officer who worked in Response Policing before he was dismissed, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual communication with a child after previously pleading guilty to one count of misconduct in a public office.

The offences occurred in May and June 2024 when Hunt engaged in sexual communications with a 14-year-old girl he had met during the course of his duties.

The former officer was dismissed from Northamptonshire Police in December 2024 after a Sexual Risk Order (SRO) was granted and an Accelerated Misconduct Hearing followed.

Hunt, of Earl Shilton, near Hinckley in Leicestershire, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual communication with a child at Leicester Crown Court yesterday (October 16).

He will be sentenced at Leicester Crown Court on November 20. 

DC Donna Fleming said: “The public rightly expect police officers to uphold the highest standards of honesty, integrity and professionalism, both on and off duty. Matthew Hunt's actions represented a serious breach of the trust placed in him as a police officer and were completely incompatible with the standards expected of those who serve the public.

“We remain committed to identifying and removing anyone who falls below those standards, and we will continue to ensure that officers who commit criminal offences are robustly investigated and brought before the courts.”