Former Humberside Police Officer jailed for child sex offences
Former Pc Richard Cammidge was based in Bridlington
A former Humberside Police Officer will spend 15 months behind bars for child sex offences.
Former PC Richard Cammidge, who was based in Bridlington, pleaded guilty to four charges prior to today’s hearing at Hull Crown Court.
Cammidge engaged in sexual communication via online platforms with children between May 2018 and October 2021, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said.
Cammidge was arrested at his home on November 19, 2021. During the course of the investigation, computers and telephone devices were seized from his address, these included his iPhone.
It was found that Cammidge had initiated a conversation of a sexual nature with a young girl. A computer seized from Cammidge's address contained a Category C indecent image from the same child.
After his arrest, Cammidge refused to provide a PIN for his mobile phone when asked by investigators, meaning it was not possible to access data contained on it.
Cammidge's actions were described as "abhorrent" by the IOPC's director of major investigations Steve Noonan.
The defendant was locked up for 15 months and handed a sexual harm prevention order at Hull Crown Court on Friday after admitting making an indecent photograph of a child, failing to comply with a section 49 notice to disclose the key to protected information, engaging in sexual communication with a child and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child at a previous hearing.
Mr Noonan said:
"Pc Cammidge's actions were abhorrent in sexually communicating with someone he believed to be a child on numerous occasions.
"His refusal to allow investigators access to his iPhone, despite being required to do so by law, shows how he tried to disrupt the investigation and evade facing consequences for his actions.
"He has rightly received a prison sentence for his appalling behaviour which significantly undermines the public confidence in policing.
"Our involvement ensured independent oversight of this sensitive investigation and I am grateful to Humberside Police's counter-corruption unit for their efforts in holding this former officer accountable for his actions."
At the end of the IOPC directed investigation, the watchdog concluded that Cammidge had a case to answer for gross misconduct.
He resigned before a gross misconduct hearing arranged by the force on January 26 when a panel determined that had he still been an officer, he would have been dismissed.
He will also be added to the College of Policing barred list, preventing future employment with the police service.
Deputy Chief Constable Paul Anderson said:
“Richard Cammidge’s actions were inexcusable and utterly appalling.
“Any sexual offence committed against another person is horrifying, but committing these abhorrent crimes as a police officer and against a child is absolutely deplorable.
“We are here to protect the vulnerable in our society and make them feel safe, two aspects of policing that Cammidge quite clearly disregarded to allow for his own perversities.
“We will not allow those that bring policing into disrepute, and undermine the good work our officers and staff carry out on a daily basis, to be in policing or to get away with any form of criminality.
“Action is being taken and will continue, to ensure individuals are rooted out and to allow the public to have confidence and trust in their police force.”