England: Police officer guilty of multiple rapes and sexual assaults

Dion Arnold was working in the Met Police and was an Army reserves medic when he met some of the women through online dating apps.

Claire Gallagher, senior crown prosecutor, said: “These women believed that, as a police officer, they could trust Arnold and would be safe with him. He abused that trust in the most appalling way.

“As a police officer working with victims of domestic abuse, Arnold knew exactly what the law of consent means. These women asked Arnold to stop and he knew that, even referring to it in messages between them.

“The impact that Arnold had on these women cannot be underestimated. One told him in messages that he had “destroyed and broken her”, while another described feeling “powerless” and that she had no option but to submit. In law, that is not consent.

“Arnold deliberately targeted women that he thought would not stop him and would never have the courage to report him. They have proved him wrong and have seen him brought to justice for his appalling crimes.”

The women gave evidence that they felt pressurised by Arnold and had to submit to him and that, when they repeatedly asked him to stop, he ignored them. One woman described how it was like the “shutters coming down”.

While the attacks were taking place, when the woman asked him to stop, Arnold told one woman that she was enjoying it and, in another incident, told the woman to “get used to it”.