Met Police sergeant accused of exposure and sexual assault

A Metropolitan Police sergeant has been accused of exposing himself and sexually assaulting a woman at a party. 

PS Anish Sharma, who has since left the force, is said to have touched the woman’s thigh and then exposed his penis to her at a party in 2021.

It is also alleged that James Senior, who was a Detective Chief Inspector at Thames Valley Police, tried to persuade the alleged victim not to report the incident. 

DCI Senior, who headed up a scheme to stop sexual harassment, is said to have told her “go home and sleep on it… there is no evidence, no witnesses, no CCTV” and “have a think about what you want to do as we all have careers”. 

It is also alleged that DCI Senior told PS Sharma about the allegation that night, giving him time to potentially destroy evidence. 

It is said that the pair exchanged WhatsApp messages on the night of July 30 and the morning of July 31, 2021 which were subsequently deleted before PS Sharma was interviewed on August 1, 2021. 

Additionally, DCI Senior is also being accused of lying in his witness statement by saying he did not recall the woman mentioning that PS Sharma had touched her as well as failing to highlight the WhatsApp messages. 

It is also alleged that WhatsApp messages between DCI Senior and PS Sharma on May 22, 2021, were “grossly offensive, derogatory, discriminatory and misogynistic”. 

Both men have since left their respective police forces. 

DCI Senior and PS Sharma both face a misconduct hearing beginning on July 12.