2 September 2010 Last updated at 10:54 ET

Ex-Hampshire police officer jailed for abusing boys

A retired Hampshire police officer who sexually abused two boys while he worked for the force has been jailed for seven years.

Gordon Hunter, 64, of Dene Way, Ashurst, was convicted in August of 14 offences in the 1980s and 1990s.

Hampshire Constabulary said there was nothing to suggest the offences were directly related to his former roles within the force.

The judge told Hunter he was a "disgrace to the uniform he once wore".

Hunter denied all 14 charges, including gross indecency with a child and indecent assault, but was found guilty by a jury last month.

Married Hunter befriended the victims and started touching them before moving on to more serious sexual acts, Winchester Crown Court heard.

'Psychological damage'

The offences with the first victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, started when Hunter was a village policeman in Whitchurch, the court was told.

“Start Quote

Both these young men trusted you as a pillar of the community, someone they felt they could rely upon”

End Quote Judge Andrew Barnett

The man, now in his 30s, said that Hunter had kissed him as he gave him a lift home in his police car and once put his wedding ring on his finger as a token of his feelings towards him.

The second victim, also now in his 30s, was assaulted when Hunter moved to Ashurst in the New Forest, the court heard.

One of the men came forward after seeing Hunter's final retirement from Hampshire Police announced on a social networking site last year.

Hunter had stopped being a police officer in 2002, but stayed on in support roles with the force.

One victim said in a statement, that the abuse had left him with "severe psychological damage" and feelings of pain and dirtiness.

Judge Andrew Barnett told Hunter: "You are a disgrace to the uniform you once wore.

"Both these young men trusted you as a pillar of the community, someone they felt they could rely upon. It was a gross abuse of trust."

Judge Barnett ordered that Hunter be put on the sexual offences register indefinitely and imposed a ban on him having unsupervised access to, or working with, children.