A disgraced detective who sold threesomes with his girlfriend to strangers for £150 has been banned from police work for life.
Former Detective Constable Nicholas Taylor and lover Eleanor Turner advertised their 'sexual services' online and would romp with men at their Telford home while the county was in lockdown.
Taylor worked in CID at Bloxwich, Walsall at the time and was exposed following an undercover sting by reporters in November 2020. The Sun reported at the time that he was offering threesomes at an hourly rate of £150, Birmingham Live report.
A West Midlands Police misconduct hearing was told Taylor was 'expressing his sexual identity' when bosses realised he had been having sex for money.
The former cop, who worked in the police force for almost 20 years, previously told reporters his clients at his property in Shropshire had ranged in age from 21 to 70. Taylor and his partner said they 'were rammed with clients' and they had been doing it for 'years', it was alleged.
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 Gross 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," Mr Goss added.
"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."
The panel heard how the ex-police officer 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.
Taylor, who is believed to be aged in his early 40s, did not attend his disciplinary hearing but submitted a document describing the allegations as "part of his private life". He also claimed what he had done was not a business interest and that readers' comments left below The Sun's article had been largely supportive, with only a small percentage being negative.
The ex-detective also argued his activities were "an expression of his sexual identity" and that standards change over time - with what was unacceptable in the 1970s or 1980s now acceptable. He further submitted the force had taken an over-cautious and "prudish" approach to his behaviour.
West Midlands Police decided not to investigate Taylor's behaviour as a criminal offence and he was only interviewed under caution for misconduct.
The hearing heard Taylor 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."
The hearing was told Taylor was "already in the last chance saloon" because he had previously received a final written warning for neglect of duties, relating to a witness intimidation case in which statements were shredded rather than uploaded to a police system.
Misconduct panel chairman Harry Ireland was told Taylor had already submitted his resignation, with it becoming effective a day before the hearing.
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.
Mr Ireland 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.
In a statement after the hearing, West Midlands Police said Taylor will now be placed on a barred list, preventing him from working in policing.
