Northamptonshire Police Officer Dismissed for Sending Sexual Messages to 14-Year-Old Girl

Constable Matthew Hunt was found guilty of gross misconduct after targeting a vulnerable child with predatory intent, leading to his immediate dismissal.

Matthew Hunt, a Northamptonshire Police constable, sent sexually explicit messages to a 14-year-old girl he met while on duty, according to a misconduct panel.
The panel determined Hunt acted with premeditated, predatory intent and would have sought face-to-face contact with the girl, referred to as Child A.
Hunt attempted to move communications to private channels to avoid detection, and his actions were discovered when the girl's school uncovered plans for a meeting.
The misconduct panel, chaired by Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet, concluded Hunt's behavior amounted to child sexual exploitation and dismissed him without notice.
Chief Constable Balhatchet apologized to the victim, her family, and the public, condemning Hunt's actions as a betrayal of police duties to protect the vulnerable.