A ‘MORALLY reprehensible’ former Warwickshire Police inspector has been jailed for possessing more than 1,000 indecent images of children.
At Warwick Crown Court, Darren O’Connor was jailed for two years and two months after 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 ex-Special Inspector was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years and made subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
The offences occurred between August 2021 and January 2023.
Detectives from West Midlands Police found the images after seizing equipment when they executed a warrant at O’Connor’s Coventry home in January 2023.
The court heard he had 1,033 images – including 372 rated category A, the most serious type – stored on two mobile phones.
Following his arrest, O’Connor refused to comment, but when re-interviewed in November 2023 he admitted being responsible for downloading the images.
O’Connor, who was based at Nuneaton Police Station, resigned from his position following his arrest.
An accelerated gross misconduct hearing held by Warwickshire Police in May found that O’Connor would have been dismissed had he not previously resigned having breached standards of professional behaviour.
Det Supt Paul Thompson, Head of Professional Standards at Warwickshire Police, said: “As a serving special constable, O’Connor would have understood what he was doing was wrong. He has committed a very serious criminal offences.
“This wasn’t a one-off event, he was downloading and distributing images over a sustained period. His acts were deliberate, 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.”
