Ex-Police Officer Acquitted of Rape and Sexual Assault Charges

Lewis McCracken, a former police constable with Bedfordshire Police, has been acquitted of three charges of rape and two charges of sexual assault following a court trial. A jury at Peterborough Crown Court found Mr. McCracken not guilty on all counts, after he had denied the accusations against him. The allegations against the 27-year-old, who has no fixed address, involved a single woman and were reported to have occurred in November 2022 within Bedford. Bedfordshire Police issued a statement to the BBC, confirming that Mr. McCracken is no longer an officer, having resigned from the force earlier in the current year. The statement also noted that he was not on duty when the alleged incidents took place. During the court proceedings, Simon Ward, representing the prosecution, outlined the defendant’s position, stating that the woman had touched him and engaged in a sex act with him “of her own volition, then there had been no further sexual contact.” The Police Federation indicated that Mr. McCracken tendered his resignation in April while he was under investigation for gross misconduct. A police misconduct hearing regarding this matter has not yet been conducted.