A detective who ran a sex business from his 'brothel' home has been found guilty of gross misconduct.
Former Detective Constable Nicholas Taylor 'acted as a prostitute' when he and his lover offered themselves for sex before inviting men from the internet to their home.
The police officer used a website to advertise their 'sexual services' before asking for money in exchange for the activities at his Shropshire home.
Taylor, who worked in the police force for almost 20 years, claimed that he was 'expressing his sexual identity' when bosses realised that he had been having sex for money, Birmingham Live reports.
He later issued an apology and said: "I did not see myself as a police officer selling sex services which is probably where I have gone wrong. I was wrong and I am sorry."
But he will not face criminal proceedings despite allegedly 'running a brothel' as the force decided not to investigate him for breaking the law.
The former officer was already on a final written warning for 'shredding' witness reports when his sex business, run from his home near Telford, came to light.
Taylor, believed to be in his 40s, resigned from the force yesterday - ahead of a West Midlands Police misconduct hearing which determined his fate today. He also failed to turn up for the hearing at the force's headquarters at Lloyd House, in Birmingham.
The panel heard how the ex-police officer - who worked from Bloxwich - and his partner got men to pay for sex at their home. He was off-duty when he used pictures to advertise for sex and repeatedly met strangers after talking online.
The allegations came to light after an undercover sting by reporters in November 2020, which alleged Taylor and his partner were paid up to £150-an-hour for threesomes.
John Goss, representing West Midlands Police, claimed Taylor brought the force into disrepute by using his home as a 'brothel'.
He breached the standards of professional behaviour and failed to declare his actions as a 'business interest' which all officers must do.
Mr Goss said: "There is no dispute, factually, that what Taylor and his partner were doing was advertising on the internet to meet men who would come to their home and pay them for sex.
"We say there was a business interest here because of the exchange of money that had not been declared. There is an obligation on police officers to declare a business interest.
"We say that it goes without saying that accepting payment from members of the public in exchange for sexual services is conduct which is capable of bringing the force into disrepute. Taylor does not agree with that.
"He says that this is an expression of his sexual identity. [We say] it was a brothel to which people resorted to practices of prostitution."
West Midlands Police decided not to investigate Taylor's behaviour as a criminal offence and he was only interviewed under caution for misconduct.
The former officer said in an interview he had been paid for sex on a 'number of occasions' and accepted that his actions could cause 'embarrassment' for the force.
But he insisted his actions did not amount to misconduct. Mr Goss added: "The behaviour of Taylor, although not investigated as a crime, it is conduct which does engage the criminal law, which prohibits keeping or assisting in the management of a brothel."
Taylor - who received commendations in 2005 and 2009 - was handed an 18-month final written notice in 2019.
Mr Goss added: "It related to a neglect of duties in connection with a report of witness intimidation, where there were witness statements that had been taken but were never uploaded electronically on force systems and in fact, had been shredded.
"There was a failure to adequately investigate." Harry Ireland, chair of the panel, said Taylor was running a business and he 'should have sought permission' from the force.
His actions amounted to gross misconduct, the panel ruled. He said: "We find that the conduct was in breach of the standards of professional behaviour and as a result of that, we find that the actions complained of amount to gross misconduct.
"We find that Taylor's actions were deliberate and intentional. As far as we can see, there was a criminal offence involved, albeit, the force did not pursue it."
The hearing was told that Taylor would have been sacked from the force if he had not resigned ahead of the hearing.
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