Policeman jailed for preying on girl

Published 16 Jun 2010 13:18

A commended police officer was jailed for 30 months on Monday after preying on a vulnerable 13-year-old Clackmannanshire girl via the internet.

Former Essex force PC Russell West told his victim that she was going to be the mother of his babies and got her to pose topless on a web camera.

The computer criminal was traced through painstaking work after the girl went missing from her home and her computer was checked by specialist IT officers from Central Scotland Police.

The court heard that West has been living with "the daily possibility of attack" while held in Glasgow's Barlinnie prison awaiting the outcome of proceedings.

Temporary judge Michael O'Grady QC told West (26) at the High Court in Edinburgh, "In recent years the courts have made it abundantly clear that offences of a sexual nature against children will be regarded as extremely serious and punished accordingly.

"You pled guilty to indecent behaviour over a fairly lengthy period towards a young and self-evidently vulnerable girl."

The judge said he also had concerns about the lengths that the internet predator had gone to cover his tracks.

Mr O'Grady said he was also bound to take into account that the Crown had accepted West's case would not have been prosecuted in the High Court but for it being related to other cases.

The judge said he also accepted that West had made no attempt to meet up with his schoolgirl victim.

But he added it was clear that the first offender, who resigned from the English force as soon as the crime was detected, still posed a risk.

Mr O'Grady said he would have jailed him for three years, but for his guilty plea. He also ordered that he should be kept under supervision for a further three years and warned that he could be returned to custody during that period if he failed to comply with release conditions.

West was also placed on the sex offenders' register for life following his conviction.

He earlier admitted indecency towards the girl between 25 October 2008 and 15 April last year through an internet messaging service by sending her messages of a sexual nature and an explicit picture of himself and taking part in conversations of a sexual nature and via a web camera, inducing her to expose her chest and trying to get her to reveal her privates while he watched.

Advocate depute Derek Ogg QC said the offence came to light after a search of the missing girl's computer revealed a large number of internet contacts - some of a serious nature.

He said, "There is no suggestion that West's conversation was anything other than fantasy chat. There were no practical attempts to seek a meeting."

West targeted the girl after meeting her on an internet chatroom where he used the name 'Fit Essex Guy'. In messages the girl referred to herself as 13 and at school.

The predator had used a pay-as-you-go sim card but investigating officers were able to make a trace to a computer modem West used and which he had bought on a credit card in Southend. Police went to his home in Rochford, in Essex, and seized computer equipment.

The investigation into West was part of a major inquiry, codenamned Operation Defender, into internet sex offences against children.

Defence counsel Tom Ross said, "Apart from the commission of this offence he has led a wholly law-abiding existence and contributed to the community through his service in the police force."

He said West had worked undercover and received commendations from the Chief Constable of Essex and an English judge. One operation he took part in in Colchester had led to the recovery of four firearms, a large amount of drugs and jail sentences totaling 150 years.

The defence counsel said West had put his personal safety at risk on a daily basis for about four years for the "good of the law-abiding community".

Mr Ross said there was no attempt by West to arrange to meet the girl and they had remained about 500 miles apart.

West has been held in prison on remand since October last year and Mr Ross said it had been "a very uncomfortable time for him" as an inmate charged with a sexual offence against a child and a police officer.

He added, "There has been the daily possibility of attack."

10 November 2011: While the Advertiser stands by the accuracy of this article, West has insisted he did not use MSN Messenger while at work.

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This article appeared in Alloa & Hillfoots Advertiser 30 Nov 11

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