Police Officer Accused of Sending Friend Request to Revenge Porn Victim

A court has heard that a police officer initiated a Facebook friend request to an individual who was a victim of what is termed revenge porn, mere minutes after overtly expressing his attraction to her. West Mercia Police Constable Mark Cranfield, aged 52, is additionally accused of telling the woman, “I’m glad I got to see the pictures,” following his download of intimate video that had been provided to him as evidence. The request was reportedly sent to the complainant soon after her departure from Ludlow police station in Shropshire during 2018. Mr. Cranfield, whose residence is in Bromfield near Ludlow, refutes three charges of misconduct in public office. He also denies a fourth accusation concerning the unauthorized access of computer records. On Tuesday, during the opening of the Crown’s case, prosecutor Simon Rippon informed Birmingham Crown Court that the alleged transgressions were discovered in April 2021, when the officer’s work-issued phone underwent examination for purposes unrelated to this particular case. Mr. Rippon stated that two photographs of the complainant were discovered on the work-issued device, alongside a video depicting the woman nude and involved in a sexual act. The court was informed that records indicate Mr. Cranfield handled the woman’s case after she reported to the police to provide a statement regarding the video’s online distribution. Mr. Rippon declared: “The prosecution case is he took an improper sexual interest in her.” The defendant, clearly operating in his capacity as a police officer, reportedly began posing highly intimate questions about her actions and sought for her to disclose graphic specifics to him. The jury was told that the officer is alleged to have been smiling as he informed the woman he was pleased to have viewed the images. The prosecutor stated that the complainant, whose identity is protected for legal reasons, signed a statement, and “by the time she got home about 15 minutes later” Mr. Cranfield had dispatched a friend request to her, which she subsequently rejected. The officer is then reported to have transmitted additional messages inquiring about the woman’s well-being. Mr. Rippon indicated that she ultimately withdrew her complaint concerning revenge porn, stating that “she just didn’t want to deal with this defendant any more.” It is further alleged that the defendant, who is no longer serving as a police officer, removed one of his two Facebook accounts in an attempt to conceal his actions. Mr. Rippon recounted that during a police interview conducted in 2022, the officer asserted he had sent some messages due to boredom, and others while in “panic mode” because he wished to resolve issues with his wife after she learned of the communication. The proceedings are ongoing.