A serving police officer working with vulnerable children exchanged sex abuse images of children as young as seven in an online chatroom, a court heard.
Former Coventry copper PC Paul Hancock-French, aged 39, had even applied for a position as a sex offender manager when police raided his home in Nuneaton in July last year.
He has now been jailed for two years after pleading guilty to making and distributing 18 indecent images between July 2012 and July 2013 - eight of which were at the second most serious level.
Prosecutor Nicholas Burn told Leamington Crown Court that a police force in America had tipped UK police off that there was an offender in Cheshire - and when they searched the suspect's computer, they found e-mails linking back to Hancock-French.
Leamington, or Royal Leamington Spa, so-named for the alleged healing properties of its water, is a town of 50,000 just south of Coventry, which is just southeast of Birmingham in west-central England.
Officers raided his home off Lutterworth Road and found the images on his computer, including eight at level four, three at level three, two at level two and five at level one, which is the least serious category.
The children were aged just seven or eight years old.
Mr Burn said four of the images, distributed in May last year, were distributed in a gay chat room used by Hancock-French.
"That led to discussion of sexual abuse of young boys, often in a father son-type situation.
It’s quite clear from what the defendant says that he obtained some degree of sexual gratification from what was going on."
– NICHOLAS BURN, PROSECUTOR
He also pleaded guilty to a separate charge of possessing a canister of CS spray (tear gas) which was found during the police search.
He has now been dismissed, after 10 years with the force.
Michelle Heeley, defending said Hancock-French was suffering from a depressive illness, had shown genuine remorse and was taking steps to address his offending behaviour.
"He is not just of previous good character - he is previously been of exemplary conduct. If he were to be sent to custody as a former police officer in his condition he is extremely vulnerable.
He has lost everything, his job, his pension, his partner for a period of time and his home is in jeopardy".
– MICHELLE HEELEY, DEFENCE BARRISTER
Judge Sylvia de Bertodano refused a request to suspend his sentence.
She said: "These are pictures of real children – real children who are being abused while someone takes pictures.
Anyone possessing or distributing those images is contributing in a very real way to the continuing abuse of very young children."
– JUDGE SYLVIA DE BERTODANO
Please join me in praying for deliverance for this man, that he may regain his former exemplary character. And pray that his victims will get the help they need to be able to lead a normal life.
Former Coventry copper PC Paul Hancock-French, aged 39, had even applied for a position as a sex offender manager when police raided his home in Nuneaton in July last year.
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| PC Paul Hancock-French |
Prosecutor Nicholas Burn told Leamington Crown Court that a police force in America had tipped UK police off that there was an offender in Cheshire - and when they searched the suspect's computer, they found e-mails linking back to Hancock-French.
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| Leamington Pumphouse and Baths |
Officers raided his home off Lutterworth Road and found the images on his computer, including eight at level four, three at level three, two at level two and five at level one, which is the least serious category.
The children were aged just seven or eight years old.
Mr Burn said four of the images, distributed in May last year, were distributed in a gay chat room used by Hancock-French.
"That led to discussion of sexual abuse of young boys, often in a father son-type situation.
It’s quite clear from what the defendant says that he obtained some degree of sexual gratification from what was going on."
– NICHOLAS BURN, PROSECUTOR
He also pleaded guilty to a separate charge of possessing a canister of CS spray (tear gas) which was found during the police search.
He has now been dismissed, after 10 years with the force.
Michelle Heeley, defending said Hancock-French was suffering from a depressive illness, had shown genuine remorse and was taking steps to address his offending behaviour.
"He is not just of previous good character - he is previously been of exemplary conduct. If he were to be sent to custody as a former police officer in his condition he is extremely vulnerable.
He has lost everything, his job, his pension, his partner for a period of time and his home is in jeopardy".
– MICHELLE HEELEY, DEFENCE BARRISTER
Judge Sylvia de Bertodano refused a request to suspend his sentence.
She said: "These are pictures of real children – real children who are being abused while someone takes pictures.
Anyone possessing or distributing those images is contributing in a very real way to the continuing abuse of very young children."
– JUDGE SYLVIA DE BERTODANO
Please join me in praying for deliverance for this man, that he may regain his former exemplary character. And pray that his victims will get the help they need to be able to lead a normal life.
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