A former Leicestershire Police Special Constable has been jailed after admitting to a disturbing series of computer misuse and data breaches, including taking mobile phone photos of a manslaughter victim’s body at a crime scene.
William Heggs, 23, was sentenced to 12 months in prison at Leicester Crown Court on Friday, 9 May 2025, following an Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation.
Heggs pleaded guilty to nine offences under the Computer Misuse Act 1990 and two offences under the Data Protection Act 2018 for unlawfully obtaining and sharing sensitive police material.
What He Did
Between January and November 2021, Heggs used his personal mobile phone to photograph and store body-worn video footage and police slides — including images of:
- A crime scene showing a body
- Individuals being arrested, restrained or stop-searched
- Injuries sustained by victims
- Crime suspects and evidence presentations
He later shared some of this material via social media, including a traffic collision victim’s details, and acknowledged to a colleague that he knew what he was doing was wrong.
During the investigation, it was discovered that Heggs had moved the image of the body into a password-protected folder just as police arrived at his home.
A charge of misconduct in public office was dropped following his guilty plea to the computer offences. Heggs resigned from the force in October 2024 before disciplinary proceedings could begin.
IOPC Statement
IOPC Director Derrick Campbell said:
“Sharing confidential and sensitive police information in the way that he did was a clear abuse of the power and trust placed in him. His conviction sends a strong message that this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated.”
Although Heggs said he took the images to “process his feelings” due to neurodiversity issues, investigators concluded he knew his actions were illegal.
The IOPC has recommended a gross misconduct hearing, which now falls to Leicestershire Police to arrange following the conclusion of criminal proceedings.
