Former Hampshire police officer Gerard Hutchings, from Ashurst in New Forest, admits 17 misconduct offences but denies a further 12 counts including indecent assault

A former police officer from the New Forest charged with 29 historical misconduct and sex offences has pleaded guilty to 17 of them.

Gerard Hutchings (64) of Wingrove Road, Ashurst, is alleged to have committed the offences – which include indecent assaults, causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent and misconduct in a public office – at various police stations across Hampshire, including Lyndhurst, Brockenhurst and Ringwood, when he was serving as an inspector with Hampshire police.

He had been due to appear at Southampton Magistrates’ Court on Friday, but the case was moved to Bristol Crown Court ahead of the hearing.

Appearing via video link, he entered guilty pleas to 17 charges of misconduct in a public office relating to strip searches, which took place between October 1999 and April 2007.

He denied a further 12 charges, which includes one of misconduct in a public office, five of indecent assault, four of causing a male to engage in non-penetrative sexual activity and two of attempting to cause a male to engage in sexual activity.

A three-week trial for the 12 charges denied by Hutchings will take place on 20th January 2025.

The charges follow an investigation by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Operation Marmion team.

They relate to 18 complainants, who were aged between 17 and 31 at the time of alleged incidents which were reported to have happened at various police stations in the county.

Hutchings left the force in 2007 and the Operation Marmion team began investigating in 2021 after reports about the alleged offending.