Stuart Trentham: South Yorkshire Police officer jailed for sending 'sexualised' messages to vulnerable woman
A former South Yorkshire Police officer has been sentenced to nine months in prison for sending inappropriate and sexualised messages to a vulnerable woman after she reported that sexual images of her had been shared online without her consent.
Stuart Trentham, 41, was responsible for investigating the woman’s complaint in June 2022 but instead engaged in increasingly inappropriate conversations with her, Sheffield Crown Court heard.
Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, who sentenced Trentham on Monday, said the officer’s messages escalated from “personal” to “inappropriate” and eventually to being “sexualised.”
The court was told that Trentham falsely claimed a suspect was under investigation and being interviewed, despite the case having been closed after officers were unable to trace the person responsible for posting the images.
Prosecutor Joseph Bell outlined how Trentham’s behaviour became more unprofessional as he signed off messages with kisses and made inappropriate comments about the woman’s body. In one exchange, Trentham told the woman he “liked a bit of meat” and preferred “a curvy woman to a stick.” He added, “There’s nothing worse than a flat, boney butt.”
Although the woman initially blocked Trentham, she later unblocked him, believing he might still have legitimate information about the investigation she thought was ongoing.
Trentham later sent her a picture of himself in police uniform with the message “working hard” followed by winking and kissing emojis. He also commented “nice view” when she shared a picture of her back, along with further winking emojis and kisses.
The court heard that the woman has ADHD and severe mental health issues requiring a carer, and she felt compelled to respond to Trentham’s messages.
Mr Bell told the court that the officer’s actions had a “catastrophic impact” on the woman’s mental health. In her victim impact statement, she said: “I have now come to the painful realisation that I was simply a target for exploitation by him.”
David James, defending Trentham, told the court that his client wanted to apologise to the woman and his former colleagues. He acknowledged that Trentham had “ruined his life” and that he resigned from the police before a misconduct hearing determined he would have been dismissed.
James also noted that Trentham, who became an officer in 2018, was later dismissed from a new job due to the publicity surrounding the case.
While Trentham’s actions were not criminal outside the context of his role as a police officer, the judge ruled that he had “undermined the trust the public rightly repose in the police.”
Judge Richardson considered whether the sentence could be suspended, especially given the delays in the case and Trentham’s struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder and undiagnosed autism. However, he ruled that a custodial sentence was necessary, due to the serious breach of trust.
“You are not a man who is irredeemably wicked, but you have committed a crime that has undermined the trust the public rightly repose in the police. That’s why this crime is taken so seriously by the courts in this country.”
He also expressed concern that such cases could deter vulnerable women from coming forward to report crimes.
Before sentencing, Judge Richardson told Trentham: “I take no pleasure in sending a former police officer to prison for nine months. You have brought this on yourself. It is a terrible day for you. I hope this sentence restores some confidence the public repose in the police.”**
Wearing a blue suit, white shirt, and striped tie, Trentham sat in the dock with his head bowed for much of the hearing. He had previously pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office.