Sergeant Laurence Knight, attached to Met Detention, was arrested on 28 July 2021 following the reported rape of a woman in Brighton on 17 July. He was not on duty at the time.
He was released on bail while enquiries continued and has now been charged by Sussex Police. He will appear at Brighton & Hove Magistrates’ Court on 23 June.
Chief Superintendent Pete Gardner, in charge of Met Detention, said: “We know people will rightly be concerned to hear about this very serious charge against a serving police officer. We absolutely share that concern and I am thankful to Sussex Police for their thorough investigation and the continued specialist support they are providing to the victim.
“The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards are fully aware and misconduct matters will be dealt with once the criminal proceedings have concluded. The officer is suspended from duty.”
Following Sgt Knight’s arrest the Met made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. The IOPC determined the misconduct investigation should be led by the Met.
