Met Police officer jailed 16 years for campaign of rape, abuse and stalking against three women

A former Metropolitan Police officer has been jailed for 16 years after being convicted of a prolonged campaign of abuse against three women, including the rapes of two of them, over nearly five years.

The 26-year-old Jake Cummings previously served as a special constable in Dorset before joining the Met as a police constable in November 2019, moving to Buckinghamshire. Prosecutors said he carried out extensive controlling and coercive behaviour, continuing the abuse even after relationships ended. The judge described the offender as deploying a strikingly similar pattern of abuse across his three victims, who were aged 19 to 24 and from Dorset, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. Cummings routinely flashed his warrant card and used tools to track and monitor his targets, according to court findings.

Jurors heard that Cummings exploited digital tools to watch over one victim, employing Life360 and Team Viewer to pinpoint her location and exert “pincer-like” control. He also created multiple social media accounts to message the women, generating thousands of messages—more than 5,000 in one case—and would drive past the home of one victim. One woman was kept under surveillance with security cameras, and other tactics included manipulation and degradation designed to humiliate the victims.

The investigation began after one woman reported harassment in February 2024. The publicity that followed prompted a second victim to come forward, with a third identified weeks later as investigators reviewed Cummings’ mobile phone data. The case was initially handled by Hertfordshire’s Sexual Offences Investigation Team before being transferred to the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit due to its complexity. Cummings was dismissed from the Met after a disciplinary hearing found gross misconduct.

In sentencing, Judge Bilal Siddique noted the “nearly five-year” run of offending, describing it as a campaign rather than an impulsive episode. He highlighted the volume of contact and the fact that some abuse occurred while Cummings wore a police uniform and carried his warrant card. The court heard that the three victims did not know one another but were subjected to similar patterns of abuse that caused lasting psychological harm.

Neil Vaughan of the Crown Prosecution Service said the defendant “thought that he was above the law,” adding that the convictions demonstrate otherwise. He emphasized that the CPS pursued justice for victims of rape and serious sexual offences in collaboration with Hertfordshire Constabulary during a complex investigation. Detective Inspector Dale Mepstead of the Major Crime Unit described the emotional impact on the victims as long-lasting but said the case showed the force would pursue accountability. Detective Constable Ellie Cowling, also from the Sexual Offences Investigation Team, called Cummings a “serious and predatory offender” and stressed that no one is above the law and that action will be taken when allegations are raised.