A misconduct court is hearing evidence this week after a policeman is accused of slapping a female police officer's bum as she made tea while calling her a "naughty girl".
Detective Inspector Matt Banks is accused of gross misconduct following the incident, which the woman says left her "froze in place".
The court heard from Aaron Rathmell, a representative of Kent Police, who said: "He was making a round of tea, [the woman] was inadvertently left out.
"There was banter between them as he did so. The atmosphere, the context of the exchange was good-humoured at that point."
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The panel heard of how Mr Banks then walked over to the woman, slapped her on the bottom and said words to the effect of "just leave it, you naughty girl, I'll do it".
The woman, who has not been publicly named, said: "It was a hard slap, it was a slap on the bottom which was of force, loud enough to hear it, to feel it. It hurt and made me jump."
The female police officer told the panel she heard the words "just leave it, you naughty girl, I'll do it" but accepted the phrase may have been said in a different order.
A witness described the slap as "like a ticking off slap, not a sexual slap".
DI Banks is also accused of discouraging the woman from reporting his actions, with Mr Rathmell telling the panel: "He was subtly seeking an understanding whereby both him and [the woman] and potentially others would pretend they did not see what just happened."
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The female officer has said that the incident has impacted her feeling of security an trust at work.
She said in a statement: "This is 2020, this isn't the 1970s. I never would have expected that to happen to myself or anyone else.
"I love my job. I come to work, I feel safe. No matter what else is going on in my life... I always come to work and feel happy and comfortable around people that are probably closer than some of my family members.
"I was embarrassed to think that somebody would think that was acceptable, I've never given that impression to anybody in my work or social life that would be acceptable behaviour."
Nick Yeo, representing Mr Banks, later told the woman on behalf of his client: "He wishes to apologise to you.
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"He describes himself as being mortified, embarrassed and disappointed and he accepts that he has let you, himself, his family and Kent Police down."
The hearing continues this week.
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