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Victoria Police suspend second officer over Dean Laidley photo leak

A second Victoria Police officer has been suspended and is expected to be charged with disseminating pictures of former North Melbourne coach Dean Laidley which were taken while he was in police custody.  (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
A second Victoria Police officer has been suspended and is expected to be charged with disseminating pictures of former North Melbourne coach Dean Laidley which were taken while he was in police custody. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

A second police officer has been suspended for disseminating pictures of former AFL player and coach Dean Laidley inside a police station.

Police said the male senior constable is expected to be charged with unauthorised disclosure of information.

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The first Victorian police officer accused of sharing the photos could face maximum penalties of two years in prison or $40,000 in fines.

The senior constable is expected to be charged with accessing police information without authorisation and was suspended with pay on Monday.

Six other police officers who were sent the photos by the senior constable via WhatsApp could also face charges if it's found they disseminated them further.

Deputy Police Commissioner Shane Patton described the dissemination of the pictures as appalling.

Photos of the 53-year-old in the station's interview room as well as his mug shot were disseminated on social media on Sunday

The photos appeared on the front pages of The Herald Sun and The West Australian newspapers on Monday.

Concerns for Dean Laidley after arrest

Mr Laidley was photographed wearing a long blonde wig and a dress after his arrest outside a home in St Kilda on Saturday night.

The former AFL player and coach faced Melbourne Magistrates Court on Sunday and will remain in custody until May 11 after not applying for bail.

He is facing stalking and other charges.

Laidley played 151 AFL games from 1987 to 1997 and was an inaugural player at West Coast before joining North Melbourne in 1993.

He played 99 games for the Kangaroos, including their 1996 premiership before succeeding Denis Pagan as the club's coach in 2003. In 149 games, he led them to the finals three times before resigning during the 2009 season.

He then had assistant coaching roles at three AFL clubs until 2015 and is currently coach of Melbourne suburban club Maribyrnong Park.