Norfolk Police officer sacked
He'd pleaded guilty to indecent image offences
A Norfolk Police officer who pleaded guilty to indecent image offences earlier this month has been sacked.
George Ince, 26 and from the Stalham area, was dismissed following a misconduct hearing held at police headquarters in Wymondham today (26 August).
The hearing, chaired by Chief Constable Paul Sanford, was fast-tracked after Ince appeared at Norwich Magistrates Court on Tuesday 3 August, where he admitted seven offences relating to indecent images.
He pleaded guilty to three counts of making an indecent photograph of a child, three counts of distributing an indecent photograph of a child and possession of an extreme pornographic image, relating to incidents in May 2019, April 2020 and July 2020. Ince pleaded not guilty to a further count of attempting to cause/incite the sexual exploitation of a child, a charge which has since been dropped by prosecutors. 　
He was released on bail and will appear at Norwich Crown Court on Tuesday 31 August for sentencing.
Ince was a PC based in Great Yarmouth and was immediately suspended when the allegations came to light in July last year.
Today the panel determined his offending breached the expected standards of professional behaviour and amounted to gross misconduct. He was dismissed without notice.
Speaking after the hearing, Mr Sanford said:
"It’s very disappointing to be in this position; dismissing an officer for the very offences that they should be protecting people from.
"We take sexual offences extremely seriously and are committed to bringing offenders to justice. When one of those offenders is a police officer, it discredits the service and undermines public confidence.
"These images show children being abused in the most awful of circumstances and every time they’re viewed, the exploitation and suffering of those children is made worse. I find his offending to be despicable.　
"I expect the utmost professionalism and highest personal standards from officers and Ince’s conduct does not represent the commitment, dedication and integrity demonstrated by his former colleagues across the force each day.　
"Ince has breached the trust of the public and his colleagues, making his position in the constabulary completely untenable.
"There is no place in the organisation for behaviour like this, which justifies the decision to dismiss him without notice."