Former Matrix police officer Ryan Theaker, 30, has been jailed for 11 years with another five on licence after being convicted of rape, sexual assault and assault by penetration. The sentencing at Liverpool Crown Court followed a hotel attack in late 2023, during which he sexually assaulted his victim with a sex toy, forced her to pose for sexual pictures and raped her.
The victim recorded the assault and her repeated pleas for Theaker to stop on an audio app on her phone. The audio was played during the trial and revealed his sexual demands while his victim said “get out of me now, you're hurting me”. Theaker belched, hiccupped and slurred his words while ignoring his victim, who could be heard to say: “You're raping me...I'm telling you I don't want it.”
Misconduct hearing over ableist videos
The ECHO has now revealed that Theaker resigned from Merseyside Police in 2025 after breaching professional standards over an unrelated matter. At an accelerated misconduct hearing in August last year, he was found to have shared offensive and ableist videos. Following his arrest for rape, his phone was seized and analysed by officers, which provided the evidence in question.
Officers found a WhatsApp group called “turn the volume down” in which Theaker shared two videos in February and March of 2021. Although the content of the videos has not been specifically stated, Serena Kennedy, the then chief constable who presided over the hearing, said: “This material is so blatantly of discriminatory and vile nature which is so beyond the expectations of a police officer.”
She added the “deeply offensive videos...speak for themselves, they are ableist in nature”. The former top cop said: “The officer quite simply cannot have failed to know what the standards are in relation to discriminatory behaviour and language.”
Gross misconduct found proven
Documents seen by the ECHO showed Theaker suggested sending the videos did not compromise his public facing duties and he did not exhibit his bigoted behaviours in the real world. “I find it incredulous that this has been submitted...the former officer has been proactive in either searching and finding these videos online and sending them in the group or has received them from someone else and then proactively forwarded them on,” said the then chief constable.
“He must have known that these videos were highly offensive and ableist - this is proactive discriminatory behaviour taking place in the real world, and that is exactly what members of our community would think.” The matter was found proven at the level of gross misconduct and it was determined had he been serving he would have been immediately dismissed. Theaker was also added to the College of Policing barred list, preventing him from ever working for the police again.
Force response and victim impact
A police spokesperson said: “Following on from this criminal conviction for sexual offences Theaker would also have been dismissed for gross misconduct had he still been a serving police officer.” Merseyside Police Assistant Chief Constable Karen Jaundrill said: “The behaviour for which Theaker has been convicted and sentenced has no place in society, and certainly not within policing. I want to be clear that his contemptible behaviour is in no way representative of the attitude or behaviour of officers and staff at Merseyside Police.
“Theaker's former colleagues, and the force, have all been left shocked and disgusted by his actions and the long-term impact they have had on his victim. Having the support of the public is essential for us to police Merseyside effectively and we know the impact that cases such as this can have on public confidence.”
Reading her own statement to the court, the victim called Theaker a “monster” before adding: “The monster never wins. I hope by reporting and bringing this criminal to justice that I have protected a woman from enduring what I have by the hands of him as people like him have no place in society.” Detective Sergeant Matthew McGuinness said: “We know the public will rightly be shocked that these crimes have been committed by a now former police officer, but I want them to be reassured that Merseyside Police remains committed to protecting anyone who has been subjected to violence, sexual abuse or inappropriate behaviour and bringing their abusers to justice.”
