Student police officer guilty of sexual offences

A student police officer has been found guilty of committing sexual offences during a night out.

West Yorkshire PC Charlie Valente, 24, was found guilty of three counts of sexual touching following a trial at Leeds Crown Court.

The offences involving two women were said to have taken place in Leeds on 4 and 5 November 2022.

Valente, who is based at West Yorkshire Police's Learning and Organisational Development department, is currently suspended from duty. He is due to be sentenced on 3 June.

Det Ch Supt Tanya Wilkins, head of West Yorkshire Police's professional standards directorate, said the officer showed a pattern of behaviour throughout the night, including sexual touching and making his first victim "extremely uncomfortable".

She said CCTV footage of the incident had revealed a potential second victim, who later confirmed she had not consented to sexual touching.

"PC Valente has not accepted responsibility for his actions and the distress they caused," Det Ch Supt Wilkins said.

She added that the force would proceed with a misconduct hearing for Valente, which would likely lead to him being barred from the profession.

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