PC charged with data protection offence over WhatsApp messages

A Cambridgeshire Constabulary officer is due to appear in court charged with a data protection offence, following an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

Police Constable Neil Woodley, 47, will appear at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (6 March) charged under section 170 of the Data Protection Act (2018) for knowingly or recklessly retaining personal data without consent.

The charge relates to an allegation that, between September 2022 and April 2023, he sent texts and WhatsApp messages from his personal phone to an 18-year-old female, who was in a vulnerable position when he met her during the course of his policing duties.

A spokesperson for the IOPC said: “Our investigation began in April 2023 following a mandatory conduct referral from Cambridgeshire Constabulary.

“After concluding our investigation, we referred a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service, which decided to charge PC Woodley.”