Predatory police officer Andrew Craig Adams, 53, now of Townsville, exploited family violence victims for sex
A former Victoria police officer who preyed on vulnerable victims he met through sex work could face years behind bars for exploiting his position to contact a string of women.
Andrew Craig Adams, 53, who now lives in Townsville, appeared in the District Court in Geelong on Tuesday after admitting four charges of misconduct in public office.
Details of the case can now be reported Age He opposed the extension of a suppression order preventing the publication of details, including Adams’ name.
The court heard Adams worked as a senior constable at Corio police station in Geelong between September 2020 and April 2021 and attempted to have romantic and later sexual relationships with female victims who came to his attention during domestic violence reports he made to the station.
A police investigation revealed that Adams first used the police computer system and then his personal mobile phone to contact the four women and ask them if they wanted to go out for coffee.
While he initially offered to be a supportive person in their lives, he later went to their homes or met them in secluded areas, including parking lots, which the prosecution said was an attempt to have sex with them.
Adams was arrested in the parking lot of You Yangs Provincial Park on April 19, 2021, after making arrangements to have sex with a woman in his car.
The examination of his mobile phone revealed that he had saved the names of women such as “Sergeant Gray” and “Sergeant Fitzgerald” as police officers in his phone.
The court heard a woman initially went to Corio police station to report domestic violence and Adams took her statement, then contacted her using the police messaging system and her personal phone. One message said: “I hope you have a new partner, he needs to be very careful too.”
He then asked the woman if she liked her “night coffee” and asked if she could come over to her house.
Adams told another woman who came to the police station that if she saw him in a nightclub, he would buy her a drink and get a report from her in a private room to report that the intervention order had been violated.
He later showed up at her home many times, on and off duty, sometimes with an assistant colleague who stayed in the police car while they talked.
Adams gave gifts, including chocolate, and later performed oral sex on another woman he met while responding to a Triple Zero call for domestic violence.
The maximum penalty for each charge is 10 years in prison.
One of the women told the judge that Adams abused her trust and groomed her.
“You abused your power. You were tasked with protecting society, not abusing it. You cannot underestimate that,” he said.
“The damage caused by Andrew Adams continues and is not something from which I can fully recover.”
Adams’ defense lawyer said his client had suffered significant trauma during his time with Victoria Police.
Since leaving the force, Adams has moved to Townsville to work in a church. Judge Gerard Mullaly was harsh when he learned Adam’s lawyer Barnaby Johnston had tried to use a letter from the Queensland government as a character reference without informing the writer it would be used in court.
“Do the Queensland Department of Housing and… the Queensland government know that a letter provided by the head of procurement was used by Mr Adams to allege misconduct involving sexual intent in public office in Victoria?” Mullaly asked.
“I think the answer is no,” Johnston replied.
Johnston said his client had contributed greatly to the community in Townsville, where he had recently received significant government funding for his church’s charity, Northreach Community Care, to provide housing for vulnerable people.
He also benefited from the fund. local mayor’s Christmas appealand rations were distributed to families in need.
As part of his duties, he accepted that he would not be left alone with people looking for a rental house.
Mullaly said the attack was persistent and was only stopped when Adams was caught red-handed at You Yang’s.
He noted that the prosecution had argued that Adams would face a custodial sentence, while the defense had argued that he should serve a community corrections order.
The judge ordered Adams to return to court in June.
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