Gerard Hutchings, a former Hampshire police inspector, has been jailed for 10 years after being found guilty of unlawful strip searches and sexual assaults against 18 men between 1999 and 2007. Victims, aged 17–31 at the time, described lasting trauma and a loss of trust in police. A 2020 reinvestigation prompted interviews with 373 contacts and produced additional statements that helped secure convictions. Hutchings had previously been dismissed and served time for related misconduct.
Ex-Hampshire Inspector Jailed for Unlawful Strip Searches and Sexual Assaults
Former police inspector Gerard Hutchings was jailed for 10 years [Hampshire Constabulary]
Gerard Hutchings, a former Hampshire police inspector, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison at Bristol Crown Court on 24 July after being found guilty of carrying out unlawful strip searches and sexually assaulting some victims during those procedures between 1999 and 2007.
Details of the Offences
Hutchings targeted 18 male victims, aged between 17 and 31 at the time, while they attended Hampshire police stations to receive cautions or reprimands for minor offences. During this eight-year period some of the searches included sexual assaults. He was convicted of five counts of indecent assault, five counts of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, and one count of misconduct in public office. He had previously admitted 17 counts of misconduct in public office.
Investigation and Trial
A fresh investigation opened in 2020 after a man reported a similar strip search from 2005. Officers interviewed 373 people who had contact with Hutchings at a station; 17 of those provided statements that contributed to the case. At his March trial Hutchings, now 67, denied the sexual offending and asserted the searches were intended to deter further criminality. The jury rejected his defence and convicted him on the charges outlined above.
Victim Impact and Reactions
Victim impact statements read at sentencing described long-lasting trauma, difficulty forming and maintaining relationships, and a profound erosion of trust in policing and authority figures. Anthony Johns of the Crown Prosecution Service said prosecutors built a compelling case from the accounts of 18 victims, demonstrating that compliance obtained through misuse of authority is not consent.
Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Southey commended the victims for their courage during the investigation and trial and said: "Hutchings exploited the trust placed in him to commit appalling offences against these young men. People like Hutchings have no place in policing."
Hutchings was previously jailed in 2008 for 16 months after admitting 11 counts of misconduct in public office for related offending in 2007 and was dismissed from the force that year following disciplinary proceedings. On release from this sentence he will be subject to notification requirements for life.
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