Ex-Officer's Gross Misconduct Hearing: Grooming Allegations

0:00On March 16th, a former police officer faces a gross misconduct hearing after a TB presenter accused him of grooming her into a sexual relationship, while abusing his position. The case involves Daniel Steele, who met the then 22-year-old woman in shortage in June 2016. He was working plain clothes that night and falsely presented himself as undercover, getting her phone number, despite her being lost and tipsy. Over the next couple years, they had an on and off relationship. Steele lied about his age, claiming to be in his early 30s when he was actually 38, and hid that he lived with a long-term partner and had a child. He pressured her for nude photos and met her four times while on duty, including one alleged incident in an alleyway that he denies. The woman, who waved her anonymity, described feeling manipulated due to her youth, low self-esteem, and trust in him as an officer. She felt over-sexualized by nicknames he gave her and comments about her race, like not wanting to be seen publicly together.

1:02Years later, these experiences left her with anxiety, even triggered by police sirens. She reported the behavior to the police watchdog in November 2023. Steele transferred to City of London Police in 2022, before resigning, prompting this panel. He skipped the hearing but admitted his actions collectively amounted to gross misconduct, expressing regret and an apology while denying specifics. Did being on duty for some meetings? The hearing, led by Assistant Chief Constable Peter Gardner, is still underway as both sides present more evidence.