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A former Victorian police officer who preyed on vulnerable victims he met through work for sex could face years behind bars for exploiting his position to contact a string of women.
Andrew Craig Adams, 53, now of Townsville, faced the County Court sitting in Geelong on Tuesday after pleading guilty to four counts of misconduct in public office.
Details of the case can now be reported after The Age opposed the extension of a suppression order that had prevented publication of details including Adams’ name.
The court heard between September 2020 and April 2021, Adams was working as a senior constable at Corio police station in Geelong when he attempted to engage in romantic, and later sexual conduct with female victims who had come to his attention during family violence reports to his station.
A police investigation found Adams had used the police’s computer system initially and then later his personal mobile to contact four women, asking them if they wanted to have coffee.
While first offering to be a supportive person in their lives, he later went to their homes, or met them in secluded areas including carparks, in what the prosecution said was an attempt to have sex with them.
Adams was arrested in a car park of the You Yangs Regional Park on April 19, 2021, after making arrangements to have sex with one woman in her car.
An analysis of his mobile phone found he had saved the women’s names in his phone as police officers including “Sergeant Gray” and “Sergeant Fitzgerald”.
The court heard one woman initially attended Corio police station to report family violence and Adams took her statement, later using the police messaging system and his personal phone to contact her. One message stated: “I hope you have a new partner, he needs to be very careful as well.”
He later asked the woman if she liked “late night coffees” and asked if he could come over to her home.
Adams told another woman who attended the police station to report an intervention order breach that if he’d seen her at a nightclub, he’d buy her a drink, while taking a report from her in a private room.
He later showed up at her house on multiple occasions while on and off-duty, sometimes with a junior colleague who remained in the police car while they spoke.
Adams gave gifts including chocolates to another woman he met when responding to a family violence Triple Zero call, and later received oral sex.
The maximum penalty for each charge is 10 years’ jail.
One of the women told the judge that Adams abused her trust and groomed her.
“You abused your power. You were entrusted to protect the community, not abuse it. You do not get to minimise this,” she said.
“The harm caused by Andrew Adams is ongoing, it’s not something I’ll ever recover from completely.”
Adams’ defence barrister said his client was had been exposed to significant trauma during his time with Victoria Police.
Since leaving the force, Adams has relocated to Townsville to work with a church. Judge Gerard Mullaly was scathing when learning Adam’s barrister Barnaby Johnston attempted to use a letter from the Queensland government as a character reference, without notifying the author it would be used in court.
“Does the Queensland Department of Housing and … Queensland government know that a letter provided by a chief procuring officer is being utilised by Mr Adams, in his plea in Victoria for misconduct in public office with attributes of sexual intent?” Mullaly asked.
“The answer I think is no,” Johnston replied.
Johnston said his client had gone on to contribute greatly to the community in Townsville, where he recently obtained significant funds from the government for his church’s charity, Northreach Community Care, to provide housing for vulnerable people.
He had also obtained funding from the local mayor’s Christmas appeal, and distributed hampers to families in need.
As part of his role, he had agreed he would not be left alone with people seeking rental homes.
Mullaly said the offending was persistent and only stopped when Adams was caught red-handed at the You Yangs.
He noted the prosecution submitted Adams should face jail time while the defence submitted he should serve a community corrections order.
The judge ordered Adams return to court in June.
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