The crew of a police helicopter are due to appear in court for allegedly misusing the aircraft’s camera following claims they filmed unsuspecting couples having sex on the device.
The five defendants, made up of current or former cops and pilots, are reported to have captured the X-rated footage while conducting police operations in South Yorkshire.
Their victims allegedly included couples engaging in sexual activity outdoors, as well as a model sunbathing naked in her garden, The Sun reports.
One of the men, PC Adrian Pogmore, is said to have stored sexually explicit DVDs at his home after allegedly filming couples at ‘dogging’ locations in the region.
South Yorkshire Police launched an investigation into the defendants after reports that the force helicopter had been used for inappropriate filming.
The force said Sgt Matthew Lucas, 41, has been summonsed in relation to three counts of misconduct in public office, and PC Lee Walls, 46, has been summonsed for one count of the same offence.
Both are serving South Yorkshire Police officers – Lucas is based in Sheffield and Walls works within Operational Support Services – but have been suspended from duty, a spokesman said.
Pilot Matthew Loosemore, 44, who was a South Yorkshire Police pilot before transferring to the National Police Air Service in 2013, has been summonsed for one count of misconduct in public office.
Pogmore, 50, a former South Yorkshire Police officer, has also been summonsed in relation to four counts of misconduct in public office.
Captain Malcolm Reeves, 63, who was a pilot at South Yorkshire Police before retiring in 2013, has been summonsed for two counts of misconduct in public office.
The spokesman said the alleged offences relate to four incidents between 2007 and 2012 – one incident on August 23 2007, two incidents on July 28 2008, and one incident on July 22 2012.
He said: “The investigation relates to unauthorised filming while using the force helicopter.”
The police chopper, worth £4 million, boasts two daylight cameras and one thermal imaging camera, it is reported.
It is unclear which camera was allegedly used by the defendants.
All five men will appear at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court on May 10.
