A former police officer has been found guilty of horrific sexual offences connected to illegal strip searches. The verdict comes after a detailed probe by Hampshire and the Isle of Wight’s Operation Marmion team.
Gerard Hutchings Found Guilty on All Counts
Gerard Hutchings, 66, from Ashurst, denied 11 charges, including indecent assault and forcing sexual activity without consent. But after a two-week trial at Bristol Crown Court, a jury convicted him on every count.
He’d already admitted 17 misconduct in public office offences at an earlier hearing. Hutchings now faces sentencing on Friday, 24 July.
Victims Subjected to Abuse Between 1999 and 2007
The offences happened between 1999 and 2007 across police stations in the New Forest and north Hampshire, where Hutchings worked as an inspector. Eighteen male victims, aged 17 to 31 at the time, were left alone with Hutchings during the assaults.
- Victims endured unlawful and unjustified strip searches under the guise of minor offence reprimands.
- Some were sexually assaulted during these “searches.”
- Eight victims bravely gave evidence describing their trauma.
- Hutchings allegedly claimed these invasive searches were “normal” if they ended up in prison.
Investigation Uncovered Widespread Abuse
In 2008, Hutchings was jailed for 16 months for related misconduct and was sacked in 2007 following complaints. The force reopened the case in 2020 after a new victim came forward from a 2005 incident.
Operation Marmion’s careful investigation identified 373 people who had contact with Hutchings. Officers visited them all with non-leading interviews to identify any victims. Seventeen victims provided video statements detailing their ordeals.
“When someone comes into contact with our officers, they should be treated with respect and professionalism,” said Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Rob France. “Hutchings’ behaviour was vile and degrading and clearly nowhere near the expectation we have of our officers.”
“He was rightly sacked when his offences first came to light in 2007. Thanks to the bravery of the victims and hard work of investigators, Hutchings now faces another spell in prison for his awful behaviour.”
