A former Met Police chief ‘sexually assaulted two vulnerable young men’ after meeting them on Grindr, a court has heard.

Peter Kirkham told Kingston Crown Court he had sometimes taken cocaine, MDMA, crystal meth, GBH and cannabis during ‘chem sex’ sessions after meeting men for hookups on the dating app Grindr. 

He is on trial after being charged with sexual assaults and coercive behaviour against two ‘vulnerable young gay men’, who cannot be named for legal reasons. 

Kirkham told the jury he was a ‘promiscuous’ user of the app, enjoying sex with other men, and sometimes threesomes, but that every single encounter he had in his life has been consensual.

He has admitted using class A and other illegal drugs, at the same time as being a TV pundit on crime and policing.

The court heard that after meeting the two men, he offered them drugs and accommodation at his Twickenham home.

One of them was aged 18 at the time he first met him, while the other was in his 30s.

Kirkham is charged with four offences against the older man, who he met in 2024.

It is alleged that on or about April 23, 2025, he carried out a sex act on the man while the alleged victim was asleep, so he was unable to consent.

Peter Kirkham, pictured appearing as a TV pundit on Channel 4, is charged with sexually assaulting two young men

On or about the same date, it is alleged that Kirkham forced the same man to have sex with him, and that this was also without his consent due to control and exploitation reasons and/or Kirkham failing to disclose he was HIV positive since 2002.

It is further alleged that on or about May 19, 2025, he sexually assaulted the same man by sexually touching him over his clothing without consent.

He is also charged with exploiting the man through controlling/coercive behaviour, knowing this would have a serious effect on him, due to his vulnerability between April 21 and June 6, 2025.

He faces the same coercion charges in respect of the younger man, with allegations he used the alleged victim’s drug dependency to exploit him between August 1, 2023, and May 31, 2025.

He is also charged with raping the second man on at least ten occasions between the same dates, by exchanging drugs for the sex acts while knowing he was dependent on them and not consenting.

There is a similar charge of causing him to engage in sexual activity without consent at least ten times for the same reasons over the same period.

It is separately alleged that on or before September 27, 2024, Kirkham made 13 indecent images and two indecent videos of children of the worst type, category A with a separate charge of having six indecent images and three indecent videos of children at category B on or before the same date.

This was after such images and videos were said to have been discovered by police on his mobile phone during the investigation.

Kirkham denies all nine of the offences.

Kirkham told the court he had sometimes taken cocaine, MDMA, crystal meth, GBH and cannabis during ‘chem sex’ sessions after meeting men for hookups on the dating app Grindr

The court heard that Kirkham served for 21 years with the Met Police, rising to the rank of Detective Chief Inspector, before returning in 2002 with a decorated and unblemished career.

He went on to set up a security management and policing consultancy company and became a regular TV pundit, giving views on crime, policing and its politics to national newspapers and broadcasters such as Sky News, Channel 4, GB News and the BBC.

Mark Fenhalls KC, prosecuting, said: ‘Subsequent to retiring he appeared on various media outlets providing “expert” comment on various stories that appeared in the news.’

But, Mr Fenhalls said that from at least 2022 Kirkham had associated with ‘vulnerable young men’.

The court heard that the younger man was bailed to live at Kirkham’s address after he was charged with an offence and that the abuse continued until the alleged victim “fled” from Kirkham’s home.

A harrowing phone call the young man made to police was played to the jury, in which the alleged victim pleaded for help, alleging that Kirkham was making him take drugs and forcing him into sex acts he did not want to do.

Body-worn video of police searching Kirkham’s home was played to the court, during which he was asked for his phone pin, to which he replied: ‘I’ll speak to a solicitor.’

Mr Fenhalls put it to Kirkham that he had made the younger man financially dependent upon him.

Kirkham said this was untrue and claimed the man had his own key and could come and go from the address as he pleased.

He said that he had consensual sex with both men at different times and always kept a supply of PrEP, the prescription drug that prevents HIV from spreading.

He said he had not been in a relationship with either of them and they were just friends he had tried to help out who sometimes had sex.

Under cross-examination, Kirkham said he left the force after being commended several times because he had achieved all he had wanted to from the job.

He said he had been a drinker while on the force, but in later years virtually gave up alcohol, before discovering the use of some recreational drugs during sex after using Grindr.

His profile said he was open to ‘hook ups’ with men who engaged in chem sex, detailing to the court the effects of certain drugs such as MDMA, crystal meth, GBH, cocaine and cannabis.

He said: ‘I’m ashamed to say I am promiscuous… I would usually meet just one person. Later, if they wanted, there could be a threesome… but it is always consensual. I have never had sex with anyone without consent in my life. I have never had any sex with anyone who has been asleep.’

In response to one of the acts he was accused of, he said it would have been impossible for him to get into that position due to his knees being ‘shot.’

Kirkham became a regular TV pundit, giving views on crime, policing and its politics to national newspapers and broadcasters

Kirkham admitted sex with the younger man on at least ten occasions, but said they all were with consent.

He said he could be blunt and had a normal temper, but did not hold grudges. He admitted getting angry once after a gas leak, and to calling one of the men ‘stupid’ once or twice, but not as part of any campaign of emotional abuse.

He also admitted once saying ‘what is the point of having a rent boy in the house if I don’t get sex all the time’ but said it was down to his type of sense of humour, which he said was obvious at the time.

He said the younger man was given accommodation after being disowned by his family after being outed as gay and the other man had been homeless.

He said: ‘They were not financially dependent, I was never coercive.’

Regarding indecent images, Kirkham said he had limited interest in pornography and no interest in children.

He said he had no idea why they were on his phone and he had never opened them.

Kirkham claimed the allegations from both men were part of a conspiracy to ruin his life, the court heard.

He was arrested and bailed after the younger man reported the offences.

The older man’s allegations were initially investigated by a different police officer before the probe was merged.

Kirkham said he was gobsmacked when he learned of the allegations and said that the younger man had left his address on good terms before he never saw him again.

Defending him, Charles Digby, said there had been a conversation between one police officer and the older victim when he had said sex had been consensual.

The trial continues.