A former New York City police detective who admitted to having sex with a woman shortly after arresting her will avoid jail.Matthew Lambert pleaded guilty on Wednesday to three counts of official misconduct and one count of receiving unlawful gratuity. Instead of a prison sentence, Lambert was given two years’ probation, ordered to undergo counseling and given 100 hours of community service.The sentence follows a series of incidents involving his abuse of position to target women associated with his investigation. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Lambert resigned from the force last year and is permanently barred from working as a police officer in New York state.Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg condemned the actions in a public statement, saying, “The defendant’s disturbing conduct is unacceptable for a member of law enforcement.”The most serious detail of the prosecution’s case stems from an incident in May 2024. Lambert had arrested a woman on charges of petty theft, which is the theft of property of little value. Lambert offered the woman a deal: he would release her with a desk appearance ticket rather than putting her through the standard process of central booking. Before leaving the station, he showed the woman a photograph of his penis, issued her an attendance ticket and walked out of the building with her.Shortly after, Lambert sent the woman a text message and asked if he could come to her house. He then went to her residence, where they had sex inside her car. After the meeting, Lambert sent her a text, saying, “You’re great,” and thanked her for “hanging out.”Lambert’s investigation revealed a pattern of behavior that extended to women who reported the crimes.In March 2024, while investigating a missing package case, Lambert used his official police phone to send a personal message to the woman who reported it. He asked whether people told him she looked younger than her age, suggested meeting for drinks after the affair was over, and said he was “nervous” about asking her out. Later the woman blocked his number.That same month, Lambert was assigned to an assault case. He used the opportunity to send messages to the victim of the attack, including calling her “absolutely beautiful”.Lambert first joined the New York City Police Department in 2014 and was promoted to the rank of detective in 2022. He resigned from his post in 2025 as the investigation into his official misconduct proceeded.