Former Officer A outcome summary

Accelerated misconduct hearing outcome 

Officer concerned: Former Officer A

Date of hearing: 12 December 2024

Summary

There was an Accelerated Misconduct Hearing held 12th December 2024. The hearing was held in public and in person at 4th Floor, Palestra House, 197 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8JZ.

The hearing was chaired by Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, with Courtney Step-Marsden as the legally qualified assistant.

The allegations were that between 30 November 2022 and 1 December 2022 former Officer A distributed four category A indecent videos of children on the internet across six separate occasions.

On 29 August, former Officer A was charged by Sussex Police with six (6) counts of Distribution of indecent images of children contrary to sections 1(1)(b) and 6 of the Protection of Children Act 1978.

On the 26 September 2024 former Officer A attended Brighton and Hove Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to all six charges.

On the 29 October 2024 former Officer A appeared at Hove Crown Court and was sentenced to a term of two years. This sentence has been suspended for a period of two years.

Former Officer A is required to undertake 200 Hours of unpaid work within the next 13 months and comply with their rehabilitation activity. The AA alleged that the allegations jointly or severally breached a Standard of Professional Behaviour namely Discreditable Conduct.

Decision

It is entirely unacceptable for police officers who are responsible for enforcing the law, to break the law, particularly in such an abhorrent manner. Doing so undermines public trust and confidence in policing, as well as the reputation of the Metropolitan Police Service.

The public could not have confidence in former Officer A to protect them or others. Nor would they have confidence in the Metropolitan Police Service if it appeared not to take law breaking and sexual offending involving minors by police officers, extremely seriously.

A lesser outcome would not serve to mark the seriousness of this misconduct, or deter others from similar misconduct and fulfil the purpose of the police misconduct regime.

I have considered the matter fully, including the nature and severity of the breaches of the Standards of Professional Behaviour.

My decision is that former Officer A would have been dismissed if still serving and should be placed on the College of Policing barred list.