Sex assault police worker is spared jail
A LEGAL adviser who was found guilty of sexually assaulting two suspects has avoided jail.
Graeme Iley, 55, of School Row, Prudhoe, Northumberland, denied sexually assaulting the women while he worked as a police station representative. But jurors found Iley guilty of three counts of sexual assault during a trial at Teesside Crown Court in February.
He was found guilty of sexually assaulting a female suspect after he was accused of touching her leg and two counts of sexual assault against a second female suspect that related to touching the victim on the leg and a kiss.
Iley, a former police officer, has now been sentenced to 16 months of imprisonment, suspended for two years. He has also been ordered to carry out 40 rehabilitation days.
During sentencing His Honour Judge Richard Bennett said: “You subjected each victim to repeated touching they did not consent to. Both described the behaviour as creepy.”
Judge Bennett said the fact Iley found the women sexually attractive was clear from “wholly inappropriate” messages sent to the victims after the incidents, with “incriminating messages” deleted by the defendant.
The court heard one of the incidents happened after a “chance encounter” in the police station lobby.
The court heard Iley “kissed her forehead” and “touched her multiple times in seven minutes”.
During the trial, the court heard the second victim was being interviewed by an officer in a police station.
Judge Bennett said the second victim was a “stranger” to the justice system and was in a “vulnerable state”.
CCTV showed the defendant “touching her repeatedly”, squeezing her leg and leaving his hand on her leg.
Following pre-sentence reports, Judge Bennett said the defendant was still in “denial” about his actions.