Integrity : Pembrokeshire County Council

The Ombudsman investigated 3 complaints made to him by 3 members of the public about a Member (“the Member”) of Pembrokeshire County Council (“the Council”).

It was alleged by the first complainant that the Member had suggested on social media that a fellow Member of the Council had an interest in children and had shared images of a child.  It was also alleged that the Member had wrongly alleged that the first complainant had served time in prison.

It was alleged by the second complainant that the Member had posted misleading information about the Welsh Government’s Relationships and Sexuality Education (“RSE”) curriculum on social media.

It was alleged by the third complainant that the Member had suggested on a public Facebook post that the third complainant was on the sex offender’s register.

The Ombudsman found that the Member had wrongly stated that a fellow Member of the Council had shared an explicit pornographic video of a girl under the age of 17 when that Member was 18.  The Ombudsman also found that the Member had wrongly alleged on social media and in emails to his office that the first complainant had served time in prison.

The Ombudsman considered that the content of social media posts made by the Member in respect of the RSE curriculum were not factual and were misleading.

The Ombudsman also found that the Member had falsely suggested on a public Facebook post that the third complainant was on the sex offender’s register.

The Ombudsman also determined that the Member had attempted to mislead him during the investigation.

The Ombudsman concluded that the Member’s conduct may amount to a breach of paragraphs 4(c) and 6(1)(a) of the Council’s Code of Conduct and referred his report to the President of the Adjudication Panel for Wales for adjudication by a tribunal.

The Adjudication Panel for Wales found that the Member had breached paragraphs 4(c) and 6(1)(a) and disqualified him for 3 years.