Cop dodges jail after exposing himself in bar and sexually assaulting two students
A COP dodged jail yesterday after exposing himself in a busy bar while on a work night out, before sexually assaulting two students.
Lee Parker, 40, was with fellow officers when he carried out the attacks, which left one victim so traumatised she was forced to quit her job.
Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard how PC Parker, who served with West Yorkshire Police for 20 years before resigning, was off duty when he visited Roxy’s Ballroom, in Leeds, West Yorks.
Carmel Pearson, prosecuting, said the defendant had been with colleagues from Bradford police along with other officers who had joined their group in December 2021.
Around 10.40pm, he entered a karaoke booth at the bar and he was caught on camera standing up with his “penis exposed” in front of fellow revellers.
A fellow officer also saw what was going on and told colleagues.
Parker was then seen to “fasten up his trousers” and footage captured him “dancing across the room” and approaching a female officer.
Ms Pearson said he then positioned himself behind the officer and was seen “playing with his trousers”, suggesting “he was about to remove his penis, or had removed his penis”.
And another officer shouted at Parker: “Don’t you dare.”
The court heard how he went to the dance and bar area of the club and as one of his victims walked past him in a corridor he slapped her on the bottom.
Ms Pearson said: “The slap was very hard and the defendant was staring at her and laughing.
“When she asked what he had done, he continued to smirk.”
The woman told Parker she was going to have him removed from the venue, but he replied: “No you won’t.”
Ms Pearson said Parker sexually assaulted a second student by grabbing her head and pulling her face towards his and “kissing her fully on the lips”.
His grip was tight, she was unable to move away and the attack left his victim “horrified”, the hearing was told.
Both women, who watched court proceedings from the public gallery, alerted security staff and Parker was kicked out.
But he didn’t leave immediately and was “aggressive”, Ms Pearson said.
The women were initially reluctant to report the incidents after discovering Parker was a cop, but were encouraged to do so by other officers.
In statements, they expressed “disappointment and distrust” and felt the incidents had “changed how they felt about Police officers”.
One of the women quit her job because she was so “traumatised” by what happened, which had been a means of supporting herself through her student studies.
The other victim had suffered from anxiety.
Parker pleaded guilty to two charges of sexual assault and a charge of outraging public decency at a hearing in January.
Daniel Weed, defending, said Parker did not seek to “minimise” what had happened and was “genuinely remorseful”.
Parker had “little recollection of events because of his intake of alcohol”.
Mr Weed said he described his actions as “22 minutes of his life with significant ripple effects” in a 20-year police career, which had seen him receive commendations for firearms and knife incidents.
District judge Bernard Begley handed Parker s 32 weeks sentence, suspended for two years, saying “drink is no excuse for these kinds of offences”.
Parker, of Wakefield, West Yorks, was also order to pay £250 compensation to each victim, a £150 victim surcharge and £85 costs.
Parker, with West Yorks Police for 20 years before resigning, admitted sexual assault and outraging public decency.
He was given a 32-week sentence, suspended for two years and ordered to pay £250 compensation to both victims.