Lancashire police officer who sent sex texts to crime victims jailed

A police officer who sent inappropriate sexual messages to female victims of crime has been jailed for 10 months.

Jatinder Bunger admitted five charges of misconduct in public office while serving with Lancashire Police during a hearing at Manchester Crown Court.

An Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation also found intimate images of two victims of crime on the 38-year-old's phone.

The IOPC said Bunger had resigned from his role as detective constable.

A spokesman said the police watchdog investigated Bunger's contact with five women following a complaint from one of them, which was referred to the IOPC by the Lancashire force.

He said two women provided evidence of Bunger, of Hartley Green Gardens in Billinge, sending inappropriate sexual messages after they had reported being victims of crime, with one saying he also made unnecessary visits to her home.

IOPC investigators later found "personal and intimate images" on Bunger's personal phone, which he "took from devices provided to the police by two victims of crime," the spokesman said.

He added that Bunger "had examined their devices in the course of his policing duties".

Investigators also found inappropriate photos of a woman taken without her knowledge on his phone.

Speaking after sentencing, IOPC regional director Amanda Rowe said Bunger "took advantage of women he knew to be in vulnerable positions... and violated the privacy of others without their consent or knowledge".

"His actions were completely unacceptable and although he may have since left the force, [the] verdict ensures he is held fully accountable for his actions," she added.

Bunger, who resigned from the force before admitting the charges in court, will face disciplinary proceedings, the IOPC spokesman added.

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