Melton police officer Dylan Bartolo had sexual relationship with family violence victims

A Melton police officer has been sentenced for his “predatory sexual pursuit” of two family violence victims whose cases he was investigating.

Former deputy constable Dylan Bartolo, 32, was sentenced in the County Court of Victoria on Friday. Picture: Supplied

A Melton probationary police officer engaged in the “predatory sexual pursuit” of two family violence victims whose cases he was investigating, sending one of the women a 14-page love letter, a court has heard

Former probationary constable Dylan Bartolo, 32, was sentenced in the County Court for two charges of misconduct of a public official on Friday having earlier pleaded guilty to engaging in intimate and sexual relationships with two victims of family violence offences, with the relationships beginning after the victims reported the crimes to Bartolo at the police station.

Dylan Bartolo has resigned from Victoria Police. Picture: Diego Fedele

The first relationship ran from April to December in 2017 and the second ran from October 2017 to March 2018.

Bartolo would call, text. Snapchat and email the victims in a flirtatious manner and encouraged them to meet up.

At times, the women thought they were meeting up with the police officer investigating their complaint only to be met by Bartolo in a personal capacity.

Bartolo wrote one victim a 14-page love letter and had “multiple instances of sexual intimacy” with the women.

He told the other woman he would take her on a date after she made another statement to police, after she had just retracted her original statement.

When one woman’s matter was going to court, Bartolo told her she had to drop her family violence allegations or pretend to not know him in court.

The court heard he had an investigative role in both of their family violence cases and did not disclose his contact with them on his official log.

Bartolo was suspended in 2019 but was not charged until July 2023.

The Ardeer man had a fiancee and a new baby at the time of the offending.

Judge Paul Higham said both victims were “highly vulnerable” and Bartolo took advantage of the women during his “predatory sexual pursuit”.

He also said a “clear message” needs to be sent to all Victoria Police members about this inappropriate conduct.

“I am hoping Victoria Police culture has changed,” he said.

“I am hoping no officer would think to have a sexual relationship with a family violence complainant.

“It is 2025 not 1985.”

Bartolo resigned from Victoria Police in October, 2023 and has since worked as an investigator for greyhound racing.

The court heard he wants to be a private investigator.

He was sentenced to a three year community corrections order with 250 hours of community work and ordered to undergo mental health treatment.