A police officer had sexually inappropriate conversations with an alleged rape victim who contacted him for advice about officially reporting the incident,  a court has heard.

Thirty-three-year-old Ryan Althorpe, of Ipswich, allegedly told the woman she was “sexy and cute” and "stunning" and said it would be a shame if she was put off sex because of what had happened to her.

He had also allegedly asked her to send him a picture of herself and asked for graphic details about what had happened during the alleged rape.

Althorpe, who was a newly appointed police sergeant at the time of the conversations, also allegedly discouraged the woman from reporting the alleged rape by telling her that nothing would probably happen and it was likely the perpetrator would “simply be spoken to”, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

Adam Norris, prosecuting, said as a police officer Althorpe would have known that Home Office guidelines stated that police officers  had a duty to record allegations of rape made to them.

Althorpe has pleaded not guilty to two offences of misconduct in a public office between November 16 and December 3, 2020.

The first charge alleges that Althorpe engaged in sexually inappropriate conversations with an alleged rape victim for the purpose of his sexual gratification, and the second charge alleges that he wilfully neglected to record a disclosure of rape.

When he was interviewed after the woman reported her conversations with him to police Althorpe produced a pre-prepared statement in which he denied any misconduct and said he had been speaking to her as a friend and not as a police officer.

The trial continues.