Former Northamptonshire special constable jailed for child sex offences would have been sacked, disciplinary hears

A former special constable jailed for child sex offences would have been sacked if he had still been a serving office, a Northamptonshire Police disciplinary hearing concludes.

Steven Hayden-Tift, aged 45 previously of Church Walk, Northampton, was jailed for two years and six months on May 4, 2023, after being charged with offences of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

The charges date back to 2021, when Hayden-Tift engaged in an online conversation with a decoy police officer who he believed to be a 14-year-old male. Messages were sent, including sexualised chat, and images requesting the decoy to send similar images.

Hayden-Tift pleaded not guilty to the sex offences but a jury convicted him after a trial, which ended on March 18, 2023.

In sentencing His Honour Judge Mayo DL said: “You tried to maintain that you were seeking validation because of a lack of sexual contact with your partner. I don’t accept that for one moment. This was seeking out sexual gratification from someone you believed to be a prepubescent boy.”

Following the sentencing hearing, Northamptonshire Police held an accelerated gross misconduct disciplinary Wednesday (June 21) to hear the allegation that the officer breached the standards of professional behaviour relating to “discreditable conduct”.

The Chief Constable, Nick Adderley, considered the available evidence and found the matter as gross misconduct.

Mr Adderley said: "Knowing the vulnerability of what he thought was a child, he pursued a course of conduct for his own perverted sexual gratification and in doing so, undermined the trust and confidence the public has in the police service.

"The former officer is culpable, he alone is responsible for his twisted actions, in search of sexual gratification with no regard to his partner, family or fellow officers.

"The harm to the reputation, trust and confidence in the police service is significant; moreover, he showed no regard whatsoever for the harm he would have caused had this activity been with an actual 14-year-old child.

"This depraved and despicable act has landed Hayden-Tift in prison and my only regret is that the sentence wasn’t longer.

"Aggravating factors include the position of trust he held and the exploitation of what he believed to be a child, a vulnerable impressionable child that he chose to exploit for his own perverted pleasure."

The former special constable had already resigned from Northamptonshire Police. The Chief Constable determined that, had Former Special Constable 3485 Steve Hayden-Tift still been a serving police officer, he would have been dismissed without notice.

"Without hesitation, had Hayden-Tift still been serving, he would have been dismissed without notice, and I will now seek an application for him to be placed on the barred list – hopefully for life,” Mr Adderley added.

Northamptonshire Police says all allegations of misconduct are taken seriously and its Professional Standards Department works to investigate such allegations to ensure those who fail to meet these standards are held to account.

Anyone who has concerns about the behaviour or conduct of anyone who works or volunteers for Northamptonshire Police is encouraged to report it by calling 101 or reporting it online at www.northants.police.uk/complaints.