A detective leading senior constable from Southern Metro Region has today been charged in relation to photos that were taken of a person in custody in May 2020.
The detective leading senior constable has been charged with one count of unauthorised access of police information, four counts of unauthorised disclosure of police information and one count of misconduct in public office.
He remains suspended and will appear at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on 30 March 2021.
The investigation into these serious acts of misconduct remains ongoing.
Due to the number of Victoria Police employees who received or forwarded the images, as well as those who shared the social media posts, the investigation has taken longer than originally expected.
One of the main challenges investigators have faced is determining who received or forwarded the photos taken at the station, versus those who were sent links once they appeared on social media.
Victoria Police has so far interviewed around 274 Victoria Police employees, with further enquiries still outstanding.
Of those investigated:
• One detective leading senior constable has today been charged with criminal offences;
• Three people, including two police officers and one police custody officer, remain suspended and face potential criminal action;
• 46 people, including 39 police officers and seven public servants, will face internal disciplinary action; and
• The remaining 224 people have been cleared of any criminal or internal disciplinary action after it was determined they had been sent the photos after they appeared on social media.
Further updates on the investigation will be provided once they are available.
