PC Dominic Dunne was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison after photographing women without their knowledge for his own sexual gratification

A police officer has been locked up after he had sex with a woman without her knowing she was being filmed.

PC Dominic Dunne also recorded himself sexually assaulting her as she was sleeping.

The 26-year-old constable, who denied any wrongdoing, also photographed other women without their knowledge for his own sexual gratification, Preston Crown Court heard.

Dunne, an officer with Greater Manchester Police, was working as a special constable for the force when he committed the offences.

But after he became a police constable, his phone was examined and hundreds of pictures came to light of women he had filmed or photographed without their consent.

The former singing teacher denied voyeurism and insisted the sexual pictures were taken with the victim's consent.

But after hearing evidence from the woman - who cannot be named for legal reasons - the jury convicted him of possession of indecent images, sexual assault and voyeurism.

Judge Robert Altham, sentencing Dunne to seven-and-a-half years in prison, said: 'He admits in evidence that these were taken for sexual gratification.'

A general view of Preston Crown Court, Preston, where PC Dominic Dunne was sentenced to seven years and six months

The judge added: 'She (the victim) is unable to trust people, she feels embarrassment, anxiety and shame, a loss of confidence in herself and in her body and a long lasting inability to trust men.

'She has admitted to herself she needs counselling as a result of the trauma caused to her.'

The judge accepted Dunne had lost his good character and his career as a police officer.

Dunne has now got a job as a painter on the prison wing and is trained as a listener in jail.

In a post on GMP's Facebook page, Dunne previously said: 'As silly as it sounds I wanted to become a police officer because I wanted to be able to look back at my life in later years and know that I helped my community and my local area.

'I want to be able to help people.'