A former Wiltshire Police officer has been found guilty of gross misconduct following his conviction for a child sex offence last month.
Barry Geering, 44, from London, had an allegation of gross misconduct upheld at an accelerated hearing held on Monday (22 July) at Wiltshire Police Headquarters. The hearing, chaired by Assistant Chief Constable Deb Smith, concluded that Geering had breached the police standards of professional behaviour, including honesty, integrity, and discreditable conduct.
Geering, who had already resigned from the force, would have been dismissed without notice had he still been serving. He will now be placed on the national barred list, preventing him from working in policing or law enforcement roles in the future.
He was arrested in April 2024 during a proactive operation carried out by the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU), part of a national network targeting online child sexual abuse and exploitation.
Following his arrest, Geering was immediately suspended from duty. He resigned from the force two months later.
Appearing before Bristol Magistrates’ Court on 23 June, Geering pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communication with a child under the age of 16. He was sentenced to 28 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to complete 30 days of rehabilitation activity and 80 hours of unpaid work. He has also been placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for seven years and is subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same duration.
Deputy Chief Constable Mark Cooper said: “Our communities rightly expect the highest standards of professional behaviour from all our officers and staff.
“Geering’s conduct is simply incompatible with that expected of Wiltshire Police. As soon as we were made aware of this matter, he was immediately suspended.
“We continue to encourage and enable all members of our organisation to report concerns they have regarding a colleague’s behaviour and we won’t hesitate to investigate without fear or favour.”
In line with Police Conduct Regulations 2020, Geering has 10 working days to appeal the outcome of the misconduct hearing.
Photo credit: SWROCU
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