A former Merseyside Police officer has been jailed for 11 years after violently raping a woman for 82 minutes in a Liverpool hotel room. Ryan Theaker, 30, assaulted the victim while serving as a constable for the force after a night out in 2023. The woman, who cannot be named to protect her anonymity, said she will "always be physically and emotionally damaged" by the attack.
Victim's statement after conviction
The victim, who reported the attack in 2024, said she "struggled to understand" how he had continued doing his job in its aftermath. "He was able to go into work, arrest someone for a crime that was less or the same as what he had done to me and still be proud to wear that uniform," she added. "He didn't deserve to be in the police. He didn't deserve his nice house. He didn't deserve his nice new car."
She said: "I always thought when I was younger that monsters were big, horrible, nasty creatures who weren't even real. I remember reading a post that said, 'even Scooby Doo taught us the real monsters were always the people'. That is exactly what he is. A monster. The monster never wins."
Misconduct and sentencing
Theaker was suspended as part of a subsequent investigation but resigned from the force the day before a separate misconduct hearing, where he was found to have circulated two videos in a WhatsApp group that were ableist in nature, discovered after his mobile phone was seized as part of the sexual assault inquiry. The 30-year-old was added to the College of Policing Barred List and it was determined he would have been dismissed if still a serving officer.
He was found guilty of rape and sexual assault and sentenced to 11 years in prison with a further five years on extended licence at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday. The conviction would also have seen him dismissed for Gross Misconduct had he still been working for the force.
Police response
Detective Sergeant Matthew McGuinness praised her for her "strength and resilience" in coming forward and "the dignity and composure she has shown throughout the lengthy investigation and court case". "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," he said.
Assistant Chief Constable Karen Jaundrill added that Theaker's "contemptible" behaviour was "in no way representative" of the Merseyside Police as a whole. "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," she said. "Clearly, we now know this man was not fit to be a police officer, and it is right that he is no longer part of the force."
The victim said she hoped that by reporting the assault, she had protected another woman from "enduring what I have at the hands of him, as people like him have no place in society". "I have been able to do this through the support I have received from my family, friends, investigating officers, supervisors and my counsellor," she continued. "He wasn't successful in fully breaking me. Of course, I have to rebuild pieces that he did manage to break, but those pieces are so much stronger than before. I am not afraid."
