Former Thames Valley Police officer jailed for having sex with suspect

Matthew Lynch, 37, based at Slough, pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office at the Nightingale Court in the Barbican, London, in June last year after an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Lynch, who was suspended from duty in August 2023, admitted forming a personal relationship with a suspect after he had arrested her.
He was jailed for 17 months at St Albans Crown Court on Monday, January 20.
Lynch joined Thames Valley Police (TVP) as a police community support officer (PCSO) in 2007 and he became a police constable in May 2017. He formally quit TVP in September 2024.
He had sexual contact with the woman during the course of the criminal investigation – for which he was officer in charge – from March until June and continued until October 2021 after the case had been dropped.
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Thames Valley Police made a mandatory referral to the IOPC in November 2021.
Lynch was interviewed and his mobile phones were examined. Statements were taken from several witnesses, including the woman he had been investigating.
The investigation was completed in November 2022.
The CPS authorised charges of corrupt or other improper exercise of police powers and privileges contrary to the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 and perverting the course of justice.
On June 24 last year, the CPS added the charge of misconduct in a public office as an alternative charge, and PC Lynch pleaded guilty.
St Albans Crown Court where Lynch was sentenced Sasha Barton, a specialist civil liberties solicitor from Hodge Jones & Allen, who represented the victim, said: “This man abused his position as a police officer by entering into a relationship with my vulnerable client which has left her with deep seated emotional scars.
“She is relieved that he is no longer a police officer and that he has been held to account for his outrageous behaviour. She hopes to be able to move on with her life now he has been brought to justice.”
IOPC regional director Charmaine Arbouin said: “The police are there to help the people they serve, not exploit them. Abuse of position for a sexual purpose is serious corruption and has absolutely no place in policing.
“PC Matthew Lynch took advantage of a woman he knew was in a vulnerable position, which included welfare concerns, and in doing so damaged her – and the public’s – trust in the police.
“Officers must not, under any circumstances, use their professional position to form a sexual or improper emotional relationship with a vulnerable person.”
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About the author
Toby is a senior reporter who has a particular interest in covering planning and local government.
He joined in September 2024 having been a reporter at the Hampshire Chronicle for three years.
Toby studied at the University of Brighton and can be found on X through the handle @JournoToby