Police officer from Rochdale sentenced for sexually assaulting colleagues

A detective who sexually assaulted a police officer and staff member has been sentenced today (7 February) to 18 months in prison.

Detective Sergeant Richard Mills, aged 42, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court and has been placed on the sex offender registry for ten years.

Mills was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault in December last year by a jury verdict and released on bail pending today’s hearing.

The convictions involved two incidents of forceful sexual touching in 2016 and 2020 while Mills was based in GMP’s Oldham district and in GMP's Crime Coordination Unit at Nexus House.

Detectives began investigating allegations of sexual assault and gross misconduct and DS Mills was relocated from working in Chadderton Police Station to the Crime Coordination Unit in Nexus House.

In March 2023, DS Mills made inappropriate comments of a sexual nature in an open working environment within the earshot of several colleagues, sparking numerous complaints, and gaining the attention of our Professional Standards Directorate.

Amid this widespread offence, a police officer came forward to disclose DS Mills had sexually assaulted her in 2020.

In both cases, DS Mills grabbed his co-worker’s hand and forced them to touch his genitals over his trousers.

DS Mills was suspended from the force on 27 March 2023 and was charged with five counts of sexual assault on 20 July 2023.

GMP says that now criminal proceedings have concluded, gross misconduct proceedings will take place.

Detective Superintendent David Jones, from GMP's Professional Standards Directorate, said: “DS Mill gravely abused his position of trust and authority within the force when he assaulted his female colleagues for his own perverse gratification.

“It was through their brave disclosure that we built a strong prosecution case.

“Cowardly, Mills denied any wrongdoing. Notwithstanding he has been held accountable for the harm he caused after the victims endured a two-week trial and testified in front of a jury.

“Their tenacity and strength shown throughout our investigation and legal proceedings is commendable and should be recognised as the driving force behind reaching today's outcome, whereby Mills is starting a jail term as a convicted sex offender.

“He is unfit to serve the public and has been barred from policing. We will now be writing to the Deputy Mayor of GM to appeal for Mills to lose his right to a police pension.

“We take all allegations of sexual violence extremely seriously and we investigate them with the utmost sensitivity. We encourage anyone who has been a victim of this crime to come forward.”