The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland has said it is “allocating all available resources” to the investigation and has warned that this may impact “the timeliness of our other casework”.

The former officer was arrested by Police Ombudsman investigators in December 2025 on suspicion of committing more than 10 non-recent offences, including rape, other sexual offences, and misconduct in public office.

These offences are alleged to have occurred between 2000 and 2009, while he was a serving officer.

In a statement today, Hugh Hume, chief executive of the Police Ombudsman, said: “We have identified multiple potential victims, together with a substantial number of witnesses.

“We have also seized a large volume of material, including a significant amount of digital evidence, during a search operation.

“We understand that this news may be distressing for anyone who has been affected or harmed or who has been harmed by a similar experience.

“We would like to reassure victims that they are not to blame and if they choose to contact us, we will listen, we will investigate and we will do so independently from police.

“As the victim impact, scale and complexity of the investigation have become clear, we are now working to ensure that this investigation is carried out in the most timely manner possible. We are, therefore, allocating all available resources to ensure it will be victim-centred, effective and efficient.

“Our resources are finite and this means that the timeliness of our other casework may be affected. However, this is the reality of balancing the demands of our complaints across the office with the need to progress this complex and expanding investigation.

“If we do not prioritise now, in the long term we risk compromising the service we provide to complainants and victims, and public confidence in this office and the PSNI.”