A woman claims she was forced to quit her "dream job" as a police lieutenant in the US after her colleagues discovered her OnlyFans page.
Melissa Williams, from Colorado, had worked for police for 28 years, before she claims she was pushed out of her role after people found out about her page.
The 46-year-old set up her OnlyFans account anonymously in May 2020, and began sharing photos of herself and her husband together, in a bid to spice up their sex life, while providing an outlet to destress from her high-pressure job.
"Being a police officer was my life’s dream from the age of 14. I had to prove myself 10 times over what the men did and I was a really good cop," the mum-of-two said.
"I was well-respected and liked by my colleagues. My personal sex life was entirely separate and never affected my ability to do my job."
Melissa spent 18 months posting from the alias Lexi Bella, a "MILF and wife-next-door," and together she and her husband earned a healthy living from the account, until her boss received an anonymous tip in August 2021.
Soon after, Melissa claims she was sent an official complaint via email and discovered that her colleagues had been gossiping about her – with some even signing up to her page.
The former officer said: "The complaint came totally out of the blue, I was in shock and panicking because I never wanted these two parts of my life to collide.
"Then I was angry and embarrassed because the notice went on to say how five colleagues of mine - all in lower and higher ranks than me - had obtained access to my paid account to access my private content so they could investigate my conduct.
"I didn’t feel that was professional or necessary. It felt like they all just wanted to see me naked. After their ‘investigation’ my images were shared widely around our local force and the jail staff. It was all being treated like hot gossip.
"That’s when I had to take time off with stress because I wasn’t sleeping, I couldn’t eat, it was so frustrating and upsetting. I didn’t consider my OnlyFans page to be a work matter. A lot of the material my husband and I shared is stuff we’d taken in our private sex life over the years.
"I was working up to 60-hour weeks so mostly my husband ran the page and shared my pictures and then sometimes we’d have fun dressing me up and taking photos especially to share. It was a fun way to relax and be creative together after a stressful week in a stressful job.
"I was never in uniform in any of my images. I used a fake persona – most of my fans think I’m a stay-at-home mum. It felt like my bosses were policing my bedroom."
On August 23, 2021, Melissa was signed off work for 12 weeks with severe stress and anxiety, and by the time she came to return, her boss and lawyer had put together a severance package of £22,000 ($33,000).
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"Being a police officer was fulfilling, exciting work. I loved my job – but how could I go back to work in an environment like that? It was hard being a woman in the force. People have always been jealous of me because I am successful, attractive and confident," she said.
Although she is upset about how her colleagues treated her and the lack of support since the leak they have shown her, Melissa believes what happened is for the best – as she now loves her now life as an OnlyFans model.
"I didn’t want my career to end this way but it was also a blessing in disguise. I can sleep at night now and I feel 10 years younger without the stresses of police work," she continued. "My family are glad they don’t have to worry about me not coming home."
Melissa is currently making around £3,000 ($4,000) a month on OnlyFans, which is less than her policing wage, but she's hoping her page will have chance to grow now she can spend more time on it.
Thankfully the model's family members have also been very understanding about the new direction her career has taken. Her kids, who are 15 and 12, don’t know about her modelling work but Melissa says if they were to find out then she’d be open with them and hopes they’d be supportive.
She said: "Starting the page was never about money for me. It was always about sharing an intimate part of my marriage because that’s what my husband and I like to do.
"My fans like that I am real and chat to them authentically about who we enjoy their compliments and attention. I used to post online without showing my face but as time went on my confidence grew.
"Now that my community knows about my secret life I am ready to own it. I feel like I can hold my head high. I’m still the same mum, the same neighbour and person that I always was."
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