A Sussex Police detective chief inspector has been found not guilty of misconduct in a public office.
David Rolls, 46, known as Will, had denied the charges and today (Friday 19 April) a jury acquitted him, returning a not guilty verdict at Lewes Crown Court after a five-day trial.
The court was told that that the alleged misconduct, while holding a public office as a serving police officer, were reported to have happened between dates in January 2016 and March 2018.
At that time, Rolls allegedly abused his position as a senior officer by forming a sexual relationship with a serving female colleague of a lower rank when he was her manager.
The matter was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) which directed that the Sussex Police professional standards department should conduct a local investigation.
Criminal charges were later authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) last year.
After the verdict was returned, Judge Christine Laing, the honorary recorder of Brighton and Hove, thanked the jury and told Rolls that he was free to go.
Now the criminal investigation has ended, the force is expected to look at internal misconduct proceedings although Rolls has resigned from his job.
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cullimore said: “It was important that this case was decided by a jury and we are grateful to those members of the jury who carefully considered all of the evidence presented before the court.
“We acknowledge and respect the decision they came to. We are aware that such cases impact not only the people involved within the investigation but also those reading or following the trials in the media.
“This has been a lengthy investigation and I would like to thank all those who assisted with the case and the subsequent court process for their support and patience.”
