Former Northamptonshire police officer would have been sacked for messaging girl, 16, on TikTok and SnapChat
A former Northamptonshire police officer would have been sacked – if he had not already resigned – for messaging a girl, aged 16, on TikTok and SnapChat.
Mitchell Shorley, who joined the county’s police force in March 2022, was subject to a gross misconduct hearing at Northamptonshire Police headquarters on Wednesday July 30.
The misconduct hearing related to a series of messages from Mr Shorley to a girl – referred to as Person A – who was 16 at the time.
In June 2024, Person A was posting videos on TikTok about her mental health. Mr Shorley sent a direct, private message to the girl and introduced himself as a police officer.
A series of messages were exchanged over around two months and the misconduct hearing notes that Mr Shorley was “persistent” in maintaining contact. After just under a month, he suggested they move their communication to SnapChat.
The hearing report notes that the former officer sent images of himself on duty and within a police vehicle. Person A also reported that she felt like she was being “spammed” by messages from him when they moved to SnapChat.
According to the misconduct panel, Mr Shorley sent “suggestive and flirty messages”, including one that read: “You’d look good with a police officer boyfriend”.
Person A asked Mr Shorley if he had a crush on her. He said he did and had done since they started talking. The former police officer suggested they meet up, but this made Person A feel uncomfortable. She spoke to a trusted adult, which led to a report being made to police.
The hearing report says: “The former officer’s conduct was cynical, manipulative and that this was an abuse of his position for an inappropriate sexual purpose.”
Mr Shorley accepts that his behaviour amounts to gross misconduct, however the panel said this gave him “limited credit” due to the “weight of evidence against him”.
The panel concluded that the matter proved as gross misconduct and Mr Shorley would have been dismissed without notice, had not already resigned. He will also be added to the barred list.
Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet said: “I personally find the behaviour abhorrent, I am appalled. I am confident that no lower sanction would have been appropriate in these circumstances.
"The public need to know that there is no place in the police service for people that abuse their position for their own ends or exploit the vulnerable.
“This is a serious case of an officer using his position to attempt to exploit a vulnerable young woman and the conduct is such a gross breach of trust that no alternative outcome would be appropriate, in my view.”
A Northamptonshire Police spokeswoman added: “The professional standards department would like to commend the remarkable bravery of the female involved in this matter, who came forward to make us aware of the officers' inappropriate behaviours towards her.
“Her courage in speaking out is acknowledged, particularly given her own challenging circumstances and in the context of supporting a police misconduct investigation. Her actions reflect a significant step toward accountability and maintaining public trust in policing.”