Former special constable jailed for indecent images of children
Darren O'Connor had more than one thousand images.
Last updated 16th Aug 2024
A former Warwickshire Police special constable has been jailed for possessing more than 1,000 indecent images of children.
Darren O’Connor stored the images on two mobile phones.
Detectives from West Midlands police found the images after seizing equipment when they executed a warrant at the Coventry home of the ex-Special Inspector in January 2023.
The court heard he had 1,033 images including 372 rated category A, the most serious type. These were stored on two mobile phones.
Following his arrest O’Connor refused to comment in interview but when reinterviewed in November 2023 he admitted being responsible for downloading the content.
O’Connor, who was based at Nuneaton Police Station, resigned from his position following his arrest.
He pleaded guilty to three counts of making an indecent photograph of a child and two counts of distributing an indecent photograph of a child. The offences occurred between August 2021 and January 2023.
At Warwick Crown Court last week O’Connor was jailed for eight months, ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years and made subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
An accelerated gross misconduct hearing held by the force in May found that O’Connor would have been dismissed had he not previously resigned having breached standards of professional behaviour, specifically discreditable conduct.
Detective Superintendent Paul Thompson, Head of Professional Standards at Warwickshire Police, said: “This wasn’t a one-off event, he was downloading and distributing images over a sustained period.
"As a serving special constable, O’Connor would have understood what he was doing was wrong. He has committed a very serious criminal offences. His acts were deliberate, unforced, and unlawful, and morally reprehensible.
"O’Connor brings the profession into disrepute and damages the confidence the public has in police officers. We welcome this conviction and hope the public can take confidence from this investigation and the commitment of police to bring these types of offenders to justice.”