Leicestershire special constable charged with misconduct in public office

A Leicestershire Police special constable is facing multiple charges, including misconduct in public office (MIPO), following an Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation into allegations he shared images and information from police systems and incidents he attended.

Special constable William Heggs, aged 23, will appear before Leicester Magistrates Court on Wednesday (31 July) charged with one count of MIPO; nine offences of unauthorised computer access, contrary to Section 1 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990; and three offences of unlawfully obtaining/disclosing personal data, contrary to Section 170 of the Data Protection Act 2018.

The alleged offences took place between January 2021 and November 2021.  

We began our investigation in November 2021 following a mandatory conduct referral from Leicestershire Police. After completing our investigation we referred a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service who authorised the charges.