A Somerset police officer, Stephen Phipps, has been charged with rape, sexual assault and coercive and controlling behaviour.
Stephen Phipps, 43, of Avon and Somerset Police, will appear before Taunton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 26 September.
The force added that an investigation was launched into Stephen Phipps in February 2023 after the alleged victim reported an incident.
Stephen Phipps was arrested and immediately suspended from duty while the investigation was carried out.
Stephen Phipps, who is based in Bridgwater, was not on duty when the alleged offences occurred.
Senior investigating officer DCI Richard Marsh said: “We would like to reassure the public that, since the allegations came to light, detectives from our investigation team, with oversight from the Operation Bluestone team, who specialise in handling rape and severe sexual offence cases, have carried out a thorough investigation, culminating in a case file being presented to the Crown Prosecution Service.
“Due to the seriousness of the allegations, a referral was also made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which said the circumstances were suitable for local investigation by Avon and Somerset Police.
“In addition to the criminal investigation, our Professional Standards Department is carrying out a parallel investigation into potential breaches of standards of professional behaviour.
“It is important that every defendant is given the right to a fair trial and, therefore, we urge all members of the public to avoid the publication of any material or commentary which could prejudice the forthcoming legal proceedings.”
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.