Met Police officer in court charged with rape
PC Andrej Sagaidak has been remanded in custody
A serving Metropolitan Police officer has been remanded in custody after appearing in court charged with rape.
PC Andrej Sagaidak - who is charged with two counts of rape, one count of non-fatal strangulation and one count of causing actual bodily harm - appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court in central London on Saturday, the force said.
Sagaidak, who is attached to the local policing team in south-east London and was working in his probation period, was remanded to next appear in custody at Snaresbrook Crown Court on February 2.
Following the hearing, the force said an investigation was launched after it received a report that a man had been raped by another man at a residential property in Islington, north London, on New Year's Day.
He was off-duty at the time of the alleged offence which Detective Chief Superintendent Trevor Lawry, who is responsible for policing in Bexley, Greenwich and Lewisham described as "a deeply concerning allegation and I know it will cause significant concern".
The Metropolitan Police said it has made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
After the hearing, Mr Lawry he said: "We took immediate action when we received the report and the officer was suspended from duty following his arrest on Thursday."
The force said it is providing support to the alleged victim and the investigation is ongoing.