A female police officer was sent a string of sexually explicit messages. Her pay was docked for not reporting it fast enough.

Police badge.
(Image credit: iStock.)

A Toronto police officer who claims her former partner on the force sent her a "steady barrage" of sexually explicit text messages was penalized on Tuesday for not reporting the alleged harassment earlier, the Toronto Sun reports. "This decision serves notice that sexual misconduct victims will be penalized and therefore will be reluctant to report," argued the female officer's lawyer, Barry Swadron.

Sgt. Jessica McInnis, 43, filed her complaint last month, and included more than 100 text messages or group chats from her former partner, Det. Mark Morris, which took place over the course of two years beginning in 2015, The Toronto Star reports. In addition to sending unsolicited texts and photos, Morris allegedly requested nude photos from McInnis and said he wanted to spend the night at her house. McInnis claims when she complained to a manager, she was instructed to "suck it up."

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.