Former Essex Police Community Support Officer to appear in court charged with conducting unauthorised police systems searches

A former Essex Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) will appear in court next week to face allegations he conducted unauthorised searches on police systems, following an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

Tristan Adams, 40, is due to attend Southend-on-Sea Magistrates Court on Monday (3 October) to face two charges under the Computer Misuse Act (1990) and the Data Protection Act (2018).

Former PCSO Adams is alleged to have carried out the searches in May 2019, accessing data relating to members of a police cadets unit in Southend-on-Sea where he acted as a voluntary cadet leader, without a legitimate policing purpose. At the time Mr Adams was attached to the South Eastern Division of Essex Police, serving Southend-on-Sea.

Our investigation began following a conduct referral from the force in December 2019. In February last year we concluded our investigation and sent a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which authorised the charges.