A former Cheshire Police constable has been dismissed without notice after engaging in hundreds of sexually explicit exchanges with a dozen women while on duty, including sharing his desire for "rape role-playing". Anthony Spelman, known as Tony, faced four allegations at a private accelerated misconduct hearing on April 28, with the report published this week by Chief Constable Mark Roberts.
Messages sent while on shift
The misconduct report detailed Spelman's behaviour between April and September 2023. On April 12, between 8.53am and 10.05am, he exchanged 18 messages in a sexualised conversation with a woman who knew he was on duty. The following day, when a woman asked if he was into anything extreme, he replied: "I like rape role-playing, being outside, the risk element...but then, I like being gentle in a bed x."
The woman responded: "Really? That sounds a bit scary for [a] police officer x." When she asked if it was consensual, Spelman replied: "Yes, fully x." The report found he shared these fantasies with two women who were willing to engage in such exchanges, but due to his role in protecting vulnerable people, it was "wholly inappropriate and reveals misogynistic views".
Pursuit of arrested woman's mother
The report also logged a sexualised conversation between Spelman and a mother whose son he had previously arrested. He found her on a dating site, recognised her, and was described as having "pursued contact with her, subsequently engaged in sexually explicit messaging, and met up with her, and engaged in sexual activity".
Spelman was in contact with 12 women and would at times exchange as many as 90 messages a day, demonstrating his "all consuming desire for sexual gratification". Chief Constable Roberts said: "...Frankly it would be impossible to be diligently discharging your policing duties, given the frequency of these exchanges."
Gross misconduct finding
The force found Spelman sent images of women, including nude images, to friends while making derogatory comments. In one message on August 19, he wrote: "In the cells in Middlewich... but I'd rather be pounding the f**k out of you s***bag xx." He also searched for pornographic content while on duty three times in September.
Chief Constable Roberts wrote: "PC Spelman has not put forward any mitigation but I note his service record, but in no way does this reduce the gravity of the conduct, or his culpability for his actions. In fact, given his length of service and role within the organisation I find his behaviour more shocking, because it demonstrates his personal views that are wholly at odds with the Constabulary’s values."
He added that dismissal was necessary "in order to protect the public from a police officer who could potentially cause this kind of harm in future by barring his re-entry from the profession".
Colleague and force response
One former colleague, speaking anonymously, said: "He was a f*****g nightmare to manage and would play the women against each other. You could see this coming for years."
Deputy Chief Constable Mike Evans said: "Before beginning their careers, police officers swear an oath to act with honesty, integrity and to promise to abide by the clear guidelines about the standards expected from all of our operational staff. Sadly, former PC Spelman ignored these core guidelines and principles on a number of occasions and thought he could act in such an unacceptable way without consequence - he was wrong."
