A police officer who passed information to two criminal associates she had relationships with has been jailed for more than three years.
Choni Kenny, 27, who joined Greater Manchester Police in 2020, was handed a prison sentence of three years and nine months at Liverpool Crown Court after a relationship a man in Forest Bank prison.
The former officer admitted misconduct charges following a directed investigation by the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) into her relationships with two criminals following a referral to the Independent Office of Police Conduct.
Kenny was sentenced to three years and nine months at Liverpool Crown Court along with the two men – Rahim Mottley and Josh Whelan.
Mottley has been sentenced to two years and two months, while Whelan, pleaded guilty to three charges of possessing an illegal mobile phone in prison – he has been sentenced to two years and eight months.
The 27-year-old, who had already been sacked by GMP, pleaded guilty to four offences of misconduct in public office and one of conspiracy to commit misconduct with Mottley.
It is understood that Kenny was in a relationship with Whelan while he was in HMP Forest Bank prison, and she was a serving police officer.
The pair would communicate with mobile phones paid for and were delivered by Kenny herself.
And Kenny was caught on prison CCTV visiting Whelan in the prison in Salford while dressed in her police uniform.
However, they split up after Whelan was released and she then started a relationship with Mottley, who was under investigation by the GMP and had moved to Spain.
Mottley was extradited from Spain in October 2024 to face the courts following his arrest three months earlier by the National Crime Agency.
He tasked Kenny to keep him up to date with police intelligence, which she did by accessing and passing on confidential information.
ACU officers conducted a thorough investigation into Kenny using CCTV and analysing her phone and computer usage and were able to identify that she had passed it on.
It was proved she had accessed sensitive information on GMP’s IT system when she had no lawful purpose and had communicated with Whelan while he was in prison on the mobile phones she provided.
Kenny was dismissed from the police service following an accelerated misconduct hearing on 1 April 2025.
Following the sentencing, Detective Chief Superintendent Mike Allen, head of GMP’s Professional Standards Directorate, said: “Whenever we receive reports of misconduct by one of our officers, we will always conduct a thorough investigation.
“Kenny abused her position as a police officer and tried to compromise a police investigation by accessing and passing on confidential information.”
He continued: “She also entered into an illegal relationship with a known criminal while he was behind bars and given this criminality the full weight of our specialist Anti-Corruption Unit was brought to bear against her.
“Kenny’s actions plainly amounted to serious corruption, and it is right that she now contemplates her future from behind the bars of the prison estate where she is now incarcerated.
“Kenny’s jail term is fully deserved – she does not represent the thousands of professional, honest, hard-working police officers across Greater Manchester who continue to protect the public every day.
“If any officers or members of the public have any suspicions about the behaviour of one of our officers then they should report in the confidence that we will investigate,” he added.
Alan Richardson, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS Northwest, said: “As a police officer, Choni Kenny was trusted to uphold the law and protect the public, yet her conduct fell far below this when she became involved with two known criminals.
“Kenny then passed on information to known criminals that she had accessed on the police computer without a legitimate policing purpose.”
He continued: “We worked closely with Greater Manchester Police to build a strong case leading to Choni Kenny accepting her guilt.
“The public quite rightly expect high standards from those responsible for upholding the law. The Crown Prosecution Service will not hesitate to bring charges against those who abuse their position.”
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