A former Hampshire police inspector who subjected male victims to unwarrented strip searches has been jailed for 10 years.

Gerard Hutchings was sentenced during a hearing today (Friday, July 24) at Bristol Crown Court.

The 67-year-old subjected 18 males to the strip searches, while they were in police stations to receive a caution or reprimand for minor offences.

He also sexually assaulted some of them during these procedures.

The offending took place between 1999 and 2007 at police stations, including ones in the New Forest and in north Hampshire.

The victims were aged between 17 and 31 at the time.

Hutchings, of Wingrove Road, Ashurst, had denied any sexual offending took place, and had denied 11 charges, including indecent assault and causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.

A jury at Bristol Crown Court found him guilty of all charges following a trial in March this year.

He had previously admitted 17 counts of misconduct in public office at a previous hearing

On release, Hutchings will subject to notification requirements for life.

During the sentence hearing, the court heard a number of personal statements from victims.

They detailed the trauma caused by Hutchings’ behaviour, the effect on their ability to form and maintain relationships, as well as the long-lasting damage to their trust and confidence in policing and figures of authority.

During the trial, Hutchings had denied any sexual offending and had tried to justify his behaviour.

He claimed that he had carried out the searches as a way of warning them away from any criminality.

In 2008, Hutchings was jailed for 16 months, after admitting 11 misconduct in a public office offences for similar offending that took place in 2007. He was sacked in 2007 after the complaints were made, following a fast-track disciplinary procedure.

In 2020, the force started a new investigation after receiving a report from a man who had been subject to a similar strip search in 2005.

The investigation was led by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Operation Marmion team, who investigate allegations of non-recent sexual abuse perpetrated within institutions or by people of prominence.

As part of the investigation, officers cross-referenced Hutchings’ police notebook with police records to identify 373 people who came into contact with him at a station.

All those people were visited in person by officers, who used a non-leading questionnaire to establish whether they had been subject to any offences.

From there, a further 17 people provided statements on video detailing their experience of Hutchings.

Speaking after the hearing, Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Southey said: “I want to commend all the victims in this case for the courage they have shown during the investigation and the trial.

“It has been incredibly difficult for them to revisit a traumatic event in their past that no-one should have had to experience.

“Hutchings exploited the trust placed in him to commit appalling offences against these young men. His actions have had a profound and lasting impact on them. I am deeply sorry for the suffering they have endured.

“To be clear, people like Hutchings have no place in policing.

“When his offences first came to light in 2007 he was quickly sacked and faced a prosecution. A significant investigation was carried out when further offending was reported more recently. We will do all we can to root out those who think they can abuse the trust of the people we serve.

“No sentence can undo what Hutchings did, but I hope it provides some comfort to know that he is now facing the consequences of his actions.”