Married Northumbria Police officer who sent sexual messages to women whose details he got through work is jailed

Marc Hopkins, a constable at Northumbria Police, targeted three victims between November 2018 and December 2019 and sent "numerous" messages via text or on social media.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the women had contacted the force as victims or witnesses of crime and Hopkins used the details they provided to make contact.

The police constable, who has since resigned, was on duty and using a work device when he sent the messages .

A judge said Hopkins' behaviour was "revolting" and "undermines public confidence in all police officers".

Prosecutor Jolyon Perks told the court: "In respect of all three, the defendant initiated the text messages.

"The messages between the defendant and each complainant swiftly became sexually explicit.

"The sexual messages were sent from the defendant's work device and the sexual messages were sent while the defendant was on duty."

Mr Perks told the court Hopkins had been a police constable since 2013 and had started his career with Northumbria Police as a PCSO in 2009.

He resigned from his post in January 2020, after his offending was exposed.

Mr Perks told the court the first victim had contacted the police in November 2018 to report an assault on her friend during a night out.

She was taken to the police station and Hopkins took her statement.

The woman said Hopkins was "flirtatious and bantering" while he went through her account of the alleged offence.

Mr Perks added: "Shortly after, the defendant text her, using the number she had provided in the course of giving her statement, using his work phablet device, inquiring whether she got home safely, which began a messaging exchange.

"Thereafter, the content of the messages quickly turned sexual on the part of this defendant."

The court heard Hopkins tried to illicit sexual photographs from the woman.

The victim said she did not take the messages seriously at first and passed them off as "flirty banter" but she later said in a statement she found his behaviour "unacceptable".

She added: "It has put me off ringing Northumbria Police for anything.

"I go out of my way to avoid them in case one is Marc.

"The fact I have been contacted by an officer from Northumbria Police plays on my mind and I worry about him finding out where I live in case ofrepercussions."

The second woman contacted Northumbria Police in March 2019 to make a complaint of harassment against someone she had met on dating app Tinder.

Hopkins then used her details to send messages and sexual photographs of himself over Snapchat.

The woman said in a statement she had been on an "emotional rollercoaster" at the time and was vulnerable.

She said Hopkins had initially been "reassuring and supporting" when he took her statement but that quickly changed.

The woman said she believed Hopkins identified her "weaknesses" and branded him a "very sad individual".

The third woman had contacted the police after a run-in with a bouncer during a night out in December 2019.

Hopkins contacted her the following day and she confirmed she did not wish to take the matter further.

Mr Perks said: "However, messages from this defendant continued thereafter and again swiftly became sexual in nature."