Michael Jones, a former police officer who resigned from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) after a misconduct hearing found he engaged in gross misconduct, has been suspended from his role as referees officer for north-east Wales with the Football Association of Wales (FAW). The suspension is pending an ongoing safeguarding investigation.
Jones, from Gwersyllt in Wrexham, was a regular referee in Welsh football matches. The misconduct hearing, held in January 2025, revealed he sent explicit messages to women while on duty, including one conversation where a woman portrayed a child in a role-play scenario. He arranged to meet her for sexual activity described as 'daddy spanking his princess.'
Details of Misconduct
The hearing detailed that while on duty, Jones met the woman for an hour of sexual activity at a public spot, then attended a police training course ten minutes later. He also engaged in two other sexual encounters in public, known as dogging, on his days off. One occurred in a car park. He sent dozens of texts about bondage and kinks during a single shift in December 2020, with 65 messages highlighted. He also browsed dating and hook-up websites while on duty, including one session lasting three hours and 20 minutes.
Jones was among ten GMP officers found to have contacted sex workers without a legitimate policing purpose. He told sex workers they could get 'filming work,' though he denied using their services. The panel concluded his misconduct was 'premeditated' and a 'significant deviation from instructions,' and he would have been sacked had he not resigned.
FAW Response and Suspension
The FAW confirmed Jones' suspension, stating: 'An interim suspension is a precautionary safeguarding measure and should not be interpreted as a finding of misconduct. As the investigation remains ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further on the circumstances of the case.' The north-east Wales football association (NEWFA) website still lists him as referees officer responsible for assigning referees and dealing with enquiries about officials.
When contacted, Jones initially denied the misconduct case involved him, claiming it was a different Mike Jones. After being told this was false, he admitted, 'Okay, it was me.' He then said, 'I don't do anything with football anymore.' However, his profile on the NEWFA website remains active. He later messaged stating the matter 'involved a private, consensual interaction between middle-aged adults' more than five years ago, and that investigations by the English FA and GMP concluded no safeguarding concerns.
Jones' Background and Statements
In an alumnus profile on his former school's website, Ysgol Bryn Alyn in Gwersyllt, Jones wrote he had 'done some fantastic things' since joining GMP in 2009, including arresting and protecting people. He also claimed to work at Manchester United dealing with crime-related matters on match days, but later said this was part of his policing role. Manchester United confirmed he was never an employee.
Jones told this publication he suffers from ADHD and autism, calling his actions a 'foolish mistake.' He denied any interest in children, stating the role-play was between consenting adults. Regarding the woman portraying a child, he said, 'It was a brief period of time where she wanted to try daddy-daughter role play. It didn't work out.'
