A former Metropolitan police community support officer (PCSO) has been fined £500 after admitting masturbating in a south London park while he was on duty.
Kevin Phillips, 56, who was charged with outraging public decency after being caught on camera committing the act while wearing his uniform in Dog Kennel Hill park in East Dulwich, in March, was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court.
Phillips, of Milton Road, Croydon, was filmed by a member of the public in a video that showed his police badge number, the Metropolitan Police said.
The footage was seen online thousands of times by horrified viewers.
The force said Phillips, who worked in the Metropolitan Police’s Roads and Transport Policing Command, was arrested, charged and had pleaded guilty to the offence within 48 hours of the video becoming viral.
Phillips, a married man with two young daughters, had admitted the offence when questioned after the incident and blamed his behaviour on stress and a medical condition.
He has since resigned from the force for his behaviour which was branded as “repulsive” by Chief Superintendent Simon Ovens, who leads the Met’s Roads and Transport Policing Command.
He also said Phillips’ actions were “contrary to everything the decent officers and staff of the Metropolitan Police stand for”.
He added: “He has let down a great many of his colleagues and the public whom we serve. There is absolutely no place in the Met for such appalling behaviour.”
He said: “I trust such swift action will assure the public how seriously we take breaches of trust and confidence and how robustly we will work to root out those who undermine the service.”
The arrest came after an investigation led by the force’s Domestic Abuse and Sexual Offences professionalism team, the Metropolitan Police said.
Phillips was suspended after his arrest and the matter was referred by the Met to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. They determined that a local investigation be carried out by the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards.
Phillips resigned before a misconduct hearing, which found he would have been sacked if he was still a serving member of police staff, took place in May.
