Sex with arrested woman: NY cop gets probation for having sex with arrested woman and sending explicit images

A former New York City police detective will avoid jail time after admitting to having sex with a woman shortly after arresting her.Matthew Lambert pleaded guilty Wednesday to three counts of official misconduct and one count of unlawful receipt of gratuity. Instead of a prison sentence, Lambert was sentenced to two years’ probation and ordered to undergo psychological counseling and perform 100 hours of community service.The sentence follows a series of incidents involving abuse of power targeting women linked to his investigation. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Lambert resigned from the force last year and was permanently barred from ever serving as a police officer in New York state again.Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg condemned the actions in a public statement, saying: “The defendant’s disturbing behavior is unacceptable to law enforcement officials.”The most serious details of the prosecution’s case stem from an incident in May 2024. Lambert arrested a woman for petit larceny, theft of low-value property. Lambert offered the woman a deal: He would give her a desk appearance ticket rather than put her through the standard process of centralized booking. Before leaving the station, he showed the woman a picture of his penis, signed an appearance ticket and walked out of the building with her.Soon after, Lambert sent the woman a text message asking if he could come to her home. He then drove to her residence and the two had sex in his car. After the encounter, Lambert sent her a text message that read, “You’re so cool,” and thanked her for “hanging out.”The investigation into Lambert revealed a pattern of behavior that also applies to women who report crimes.In March 2024, while investigating a missing package, Lambert used his official police phone number to send a personal message to the woman who reported the case. He asked if people told her she looked younger than her age, suggested meeting for drinks after the case and said he was “nervous” about asking her out. The woman then blocked his phone number.That same month, Lambert was assigned to an assault case. He used the opportunity to send text messages to the victim of the attack, including calling her “absolutely beautiful”.Lambert first joined the NYPD in 2014 and was promoted to detective in 2022. He resigned in 2025 as an investigation into his official misconduct progressed.